Newington’s Director of the The Centre for Critical Thinking and Ethics Centre (The Centre), Dr Britta Jensen, has become one of the newest Fellows of the Teachers’ Guild of NSW (TGNSW), in a nod to the vital work the College has been undertaking in the critical thinking space.

The TGNSW, the oldest teaching association in the state, promotes professional growth and partnerships between educators across all education sectors and subject areas. Dr Jensen is very proud to become the first Newington College educator to achieve a TGNSW Fellowship, which recognises individuals for their exceptional impact and leadership in education.

‘I’m thrilled to be representing Newington in the Fellowship, which also acknowledges our pioneering work in the critical thinking space,’ Dr Jensen says.

Through a bespoke program developed by The Centre, all Newington students are taught to listen, reason and develop independent critical and ethical thought. The critical thinking program is delivered by both internal and external experts to students across all campuses in Years K–12.

Dr Jensen, who was previously an academic in Philosophy and Linguistics at Cambridge and Macquarie Universities, and has been the President of the Philosophy in Schools Association of NSW since 2018, plays a pivotal role in developing curricula, mentoring her fellow teachers and contributing to professional learning through workshops, action research and publications. Under her stewardship, The Centre has established national and global partnerships, including with the Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO) in the United States and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Dr Jensen’s TGNSW Fellowship recognises these achievements and the work she has done to further critical thinking at Newington.

‘I first became involved with TGNSW in 2025 when I was co-leading a joint project about helping students grapple with uncertainty,’ she says.

‘This year, I will be giving a presentation at the TGNSW Research Conference in August titled “Interstate action research: Supporting student thinking”. This presentation will draw on critical thinking frameworks and classroom resources developed here at Newington, so it will be very exciting to see the impact and utility of those same resources in classrooms outside the College.’

The TGNSW will hold its 2026 Fellows Dinner and Presentation Awards at the historic Concord Golf Club on Friday 31 July, where Dr Jensen and several of her highly esteemed peers will be formally recognised for going above and beyond in their profession.

Dr Frederick Osman, President of the TGNSW, says ‘These awards provide a public platform to acknowledge and thank educators who embody excellence in teaching.

‘They are shaping an informed, cohesive, and compassionate society through their tireless commitment to student growth, wellbeing, and learning.’

To find out more about The Centre for Critical Thinking and Ethics at Newington College, click here.

Did you know?

• Newington College’s Centre for Critical Thinking and Ethics (The Centre) was started in 2022 to empower our students to develop Great Hearts, Inspired Minds and Strong Wings.
• In May 2026 The Centre officially opened its new home in the old Headmaster’s residence, ‘The Parsonage’ at our Senior campus.
• The Centre has partnered with the Association for Philosophy in Schools NSW to offer professional learning courses to teachers across all of NSW.
• On 23 July, Newington will be hosting the 2026 Sydney Philosothon, an annual interschool event that has been running since 2009.

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