St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School

“What do you see?” The power of open-ended Questions

Who we are

I am Nicky Brinkworth, class teacher and assistant head at St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School.

What we learned

• Inclusive thinking culture: asking “What do you see?” encouraged all children to share ideas, focus on resources, and make sense of problems in their own way.
• The power of wait time: allowing children time to think and respond deepened their reasoning and critical thinking (e.g. children verbalising “I’m thinking about what to do”).
• Open-ended questions build language: these questions encouraged children to elaborate, use richer vocabulary, and explain their thinking.
• Timing matters: the most impact came when questions were asked at key points: to open an activity, inspire peer contributions, or bridge between tasks.
• Teacher as facilitator: the adult’s role was not to give solutions but to scaffold, listen and focus children’s thinking processes.

Why it matters

Open-ended questioning helps children problem-solve, reason and communicate, key skills across the EYFS curriculum. Embedding questions like “What do you see?” empowers children to take ownership of their learning, build confidence, and develop critical and creative thinking.

This project has shown me the real impact of open-ended questioning. It has changed the way I think about language in the classroom – not just as a tool for teaching, but as a way to empower children to express, reflect and solve problems independently.

What’s next?

• Be more intentional about when and how to use open-ended questions
• Create more opportunities for critical thinking scenarios in class
• Share findings with colleagues to strengthen questioning strategies across the setting
• Continue to refine practice by leaving purposeful silence after questions, giving children time to think and respond

At St Werburgh’s, we believe that the right question, asked at the right time, can unlock a child’s voice, thinking and creativity.