Norbury Manor Girls' High School

Critical Thinking is offered as an enrichment AS level in year 12. It is intended to add breadth to whatever course students choose to follow in the sixth form, and to allow them to develop a more critical mind so they may cope with the abundance of information that they confront in their studies and, equally important, in their daily lives.

Critical Thinking is a skill that involves understanding and evaluating reasoning. ‘Reasoning’ is often defined as ‘the act or process of drawing conclusions from facts, evidence, etc.’ while the word ‘critical’ means assessing strengths as well as weaknesses, rather than ‘being critical’ in the everyday sense.

We are reasoning every time we think about why, whether and how to do something, or whether to believe what someone is telling us. The AS level allows students to practice and strengthen this skill. It will enable them to understand and analyse what other people say, decide whether their reasoning is strong or weak, and assert their own point of view and argue convincingly.

It offers a good preparation for courses they may choose to follow in the future, such as in Law, Media or Business.