On 25th and 26th February, BSB City hosted senior leaders from Cognita Schools across Europe for a two-day School Improvement Network (SIN) Meeting. The event provided a dynamic platform for collaboration, focusing on holistic education and the power of deep thinking in shaping impactful learning experiences.

A central theme of the discussions was metacognition—thinking about thinking—as a strategy to enhance both student success and professional development. Our School Improvement Partner, Jon Coward, introduced guest speaker CJ Rauch, Head of Teaching & Learning at Evidence Based Education, whose evidence-based strategies shed light on empowering students to become independent, self-regulated learners.

Simon Camby, Group Chief Education Officer, sharing strategic insights into Cognita’s unwavering commitment to educational excellence.

The BSB City campus in Barcelona served as an inspiring setting for these important discussions. Executive Principal Neil Tetley, Business Manager Maria Sintes, and BSB City Headteachers Nicola Davies and Jake Richardson led visiting colleagues on a tour of the state-of-the-art facilities, reinforcing The British School of Barcelona’s dedication to fostering innovation and creativity in education.

We had the pleasure of hosting Germà Rigau (Managing Director, Continental Europe), Álvaro de Miguel (General Manager, Spain & Italy), and Imma Prat (Head of Marketing & Admissions, Spain & Italy), along with other Cognita colleagues and representatives from Cognita schools such as BSV, CEM Madrid, Doukas, ELIS Murcia, ELIS Villamarin, FBS Florence, Hastings Madrid, Meres, Mirasur Madrid, TEMS Madrid, ISZN Switzerland, and Four Forest Switzerland.

Sharing Best Practices Across the Cognita Early Years Network
On Wednesday 26th, BSB City Esperança Campus also hosted the Cognita Early Years Network Meeting, bringing together educators from Spain and Italy to discuss writing development and moderation in Early Years education. Participants compared End of Phase expectations, analysed real writing samples, and explored strategies to support young learners.

The event featured workshops on moderation, a Writing Teach Meet where educators shared strategies, and an Inspire & Spark session led by Emily Henderson, Headteacher of Early Years and Primary at BSB Sitges, introducing the Message Centre approach to early writing. CJ Rauch also led a session on the Great Teaching Toolkit for EYFS, linking evidence-based strategies to effective teaching in Early Years.

These meetings continue to strengthen collaboration across Cognita schools, ensuring best practices are shared and implemented throughout the network.