High quality tuition in essential critical thinking skills
Please note this website is currently being updated in preparation for our new programme and its functionality limited. While this is the case, please direct any enquiries to info@kritikos.co.uk
Think clearly.
Judge wisely.
skilled teacher, author and critical thinking examiner
strategies for developing stronger, wiser judgment
share your thinking more effectively with others
Our full KRITIKOS programme is being made available to the public for the first time; first teaching Autumn 2026. Find out more here
Essential critical thinking...
Critical thinking is not an option: we have to make judgments - about what to believe, which information deserves our attention, and which ideas are worth pursuing. If we do this poorly, then the foundations of our lives become skewed.
KRITIKOS provides a framework to help you think more clearly and confidently about the information we encounter and the ideas, viewpoints and proposals we take out into the world. In so doing, make better, more discerning judgments.
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... made deeply meaningful
We believe that our KRITIKOS programme in critical thinking is unique not only in its effectiveness
but in its depth and meaning. Its content extends to human thinking more widely: how we act and interact; what an act of judgment involves; and what makes for a good or better judgment. The course examines not just what it means to judge well, but more wisely.
Judge wisely. Choose KRITIKOS.
New online course
Launching Autumn 2026
FREE Introductory session (try before you buy!)
New KRITIKOS provision: online course
On top of our existing workforce and business trainings, we are proud to offer a new, competitively priced online course, available to anyone. The course lasts 7.5 hours, run in 90 minute sessions - with a FREE introductory/ taster session.
What makes KRITIKOS support "high quality"?
Whether it's a standalone workshop or our full course, you can expect the following:
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Excellent teaching! Joe Chislett is a highly experienced teacher and teaching coach with over 20 years teaching experience - he has also coached other teachers. He has taught at all levels, from Primary through to adult education. He currently lectures for the WEA.
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Unusually high levels of subject knowledge and expertise. Joe has been teaching, writing about and examining Critical Thinking for over 20 years. He has co-authored textbooks and papers, was a Senior Examiner for a UK A level in Critical THinking throughout its existence, and helped define its core skills way back in 2007!
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Richness and depth: KRITIKOS is the outcome of Joe's 20 year mission, to provide critical thinking training that is both genuinely effective, and also deeply meaningful. This is a strange claim, and one we elaborate on below.
What makes it meaningful?
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Link to actual practical goals and needs people have. (See benefits below) Focus on the most essential needs; and the ways to achieve them.
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Stuff that actually works. Through his work in both highly analytical and also emotionally charged fields Joe is interested in the ways we think and act in real world contexts; he sticks to just those ideas and principles which are real world ready; those he uses himself, on a daily basis, to help him navigate and evaluate ideas and information.
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Link to wider question of human cognition and judgment. The ultimate aim of KRITIKOS workshops is not just how to think and judge well, but more WISELY.
My personal challenge
I wanted to create a way of teaching critical thinking - and to supporting human thinking more broadly - that was in tune with the following:
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1/ the kinds of things we actually encounter and have to think about (not facts and opinions but things that lie somewhere in between - arguments, proposals, strategies, theories, predictions, models)​
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2/ the ways we think and interact (we're not models of rationality, but we do aspire to give and evaluate reasons/ the role that reasons actually play, alongside other things that influence us)
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3/ how we (actually) think, perceive the world, and the processes that go into forming judgments; for instance the fact that a lot of thinking - including some of our best thinking - is intuitive or unconscious
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4/ what it takes to judge not just well, but wisely (the fact that you need to combine some detached-ness with some involved-ness... Why we both data and feelings!)
This was the challenge I set myself, informed by all my experiences, and also my desire to create something genuinely meaningful. It's what I believe I've achieved with KRITIKOS.
First and foremost, KRITIKOS courses help you address the most pressing daily challenges. This practical focus keeps the meaning and purpose clear at all times.
however, beyond this, there is a deeper meaning and value to what we do....
How you benefit
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Practical value of KRITIKOS courses
help you judge what's worth paying attention to
this is literally the most important thing in life to get right - what we choose to attend to, and the importance we attach to it, defines our whole experience of life and the decisions we make
HOW KRITIKOS HELPS:
help you judge which ideas to pursue or invest in
It's not just the information coming in that we need to be mindful of: we also need to decide which of our own ideas or projects are worth investing time and money into
HOW KRITIKOS HELPS:
help you share your thinking more effectively
It's no good being able to make sound judgments about the information coming in or the ideas we take out into the world if we don't have the skills or confidence to share or enact our thinking
HOW KRITIKOS HELPS:
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Deeper value...
valuable insights into human thinking...
We acknowledge that a lot of our thinking is unconscious; you come away with a deeper understanding of the processes that go on when we think and share our thinking with others
...into the process of judgment...
How judgment means going beyond fact and opinion into a world where things are not true or false, but better or worse, more or less accurate, more or less wise
...and into wisdom itself!
Why wisdom requires both data and evidence and own lived experience, feelings and intuitions; You leave a wiser, more self-aware thinker; more open to new ideas more confident, better interactions etc
('kritikos' = ancient Greek to 'judge'; roots of today's 'critical', or 'critique')
Courses and workshops
WORK-BASED TRAININGS
Standalone and full course in essential critical thinking
STRONGER, WISER JUDGMENT
For leaders and decision-makers
ONLINE COURSES AND WORKSHOPS
Standalone and full course in essential critical thinking
STRONGER, WISER JUDGMENT
For leaders and decision-makers
Whether it's work-based training for businesses, teams or organisations, or the publicly available online courses, here is the content we cover...
What you learn
Overview
How to do this wisely/ judiciously
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Clear framework and principles/ Better mental framework for how to approach claims, ideas, questions, arguments, evidence, data, theories, models
[value/ benefit] make better/ more discerning Js about what to believe, value, do...
[Expansion] Simply knowong the tools and concepts for logical, analytical thinking doesn't mean you will be thinking wisely; it's possible to use the tools in a 'motivated' way; our course shows you not just how to use them, but how to use them WISELY
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insights into how humans think and process information, the different factors going on, consvious and unconscious etc
[value/ benefit] A wiser, more self-aware thinker; better able to share your thinking with others
KRITIKOS workshop contents in more detail
We offer standalone workshops and the full KRITIKOS course
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What it means to go ‘beyond’ fact and opinion and how this helps us treat the information we encounter – whether from people or AI
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Factors – both conscious and unconscious – that affect our thinking; what this means not just for our own thinking, but our attempts to share thinking with others
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How evidence works and how to use and interpret it more effectively (e.g. the difference between evidence and examples, the asymmetry between confirmation and falsification)
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How to approach arguments, explanations, models and theories more cautiously and discerningly; how do reasons work, logically and psychologically
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How to pressure-test thinking, expose hidden assumptions, and challenge other people’s thinking in ways that are powerful yet non-confrontational
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The power and also limitations of logical, evidence-based thinking: how and why we need to combine it with lived experience, empathy, imagination and intuition in order to truly think and judge not just well but more wisely!
How you learn (practicalities of course delivery)
Workshops have historically been delivered to organisations, either in-person or virtually.​
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However as of 2026 KRITIKOS is moving to webinars that are open to everyone.
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Each session lasts for 90 minutes and will be running early evening UK time.
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Further information will be provided soon.
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In the meantime please contact info@kritikos.co.uk to find out more or to reserve a place.
Wisdom requires more than logic and data...
Our courses look at the role individual experience and intuition, moral and contextual sensitivitiy/ awareness play in 'judgment', and how to balance against detached, analytical, evidence-based thinking
[Expanasion] How each tells us something the other can't see/ is blind to; why wise thinking needs both, and how to engage both
Meet your teacher
Hi, I'm Joe. I've worked in the field of critical thinking for 25 years - as teacher, author, examiner and consultant. I've also worked in areas such as conflict resolution and preventing violent extremism, as well as having taught English, Philosophy, Drama and Creative Writing. I'm interested in human thinking in the broadest sense - from the analytical and logical, to the emotional, intuitive and instinctive. I'm an experienced teacher and teaching coach, and am interested in how we learn - my trainings and workshops reflect this. As well as having papers published in academic journals such as Nature, I write and perform poetry and run poetry workshops in schools. (If you want to find out more about my background, about the tests I write for and the papers I've written, and the story of how KRITIKOS came about see here)
"Not only did the session get me thinking - it was surprisingly enjoyable. I enjoyed the blend of humour and seriousness. I didn't think that a session on critical thinking could be so much fun!"
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Katherine, Assistant Head Teacher, Waingels College
Our Clients Say
“The critical thinking course has made me more conscious of my thinking and equipped me with practical and easily applicable points for critical thinking. The refresher documents on the four principles provided after the course were particularly helpful, reinforcing my memory and awareness of these key points. It's heightened my awareness of biases in communication, enabling me to communicate more effectively. I feel more confident and empowered in my thinking and this course has truly helped me in my ways of communicating, both professionally and personally.”
Anne-Sofie, Graduate Training Programme, Stibo Systems, Aarhus, Denmark
BACKGROUND
KRITIKOS: the origin story
KRITIKOS evolved from my work in both logical, analytical thinking, but also in more 'human' areas, for example teaching Literature, Drama, Creative Writing, and on emotionally-charged projects and contexts, which involved actual behavioural change (projects to prevent violent extremism).
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From out of this combination, I saw what was powerful about analytical, critical thinking; I saw what it was that I and other critical thinking experts could do, why we could ask and answer questions that others routinely got wrong.
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I also saw that, for critical thinking to work in real life, amongst real people and in real situations, it needed to take into account how we really think and operate as people: the role of emotion and instinct in all of our thinking and interactions; the fact that thinking - good thinking - is also necessarily creative.
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Above all, I felt that a lot of what passes for critical thinking training or support is unhelpful: either vague, impractical, and in some cases even misleading. I decided to teach only the things I actually use; that are actually helpful; and that are consistent with real people and the contexts we think in.​​​
My background
My background spans teaching and examining higher order thinking skills as well as teaching Philosophy, English Literature, Drama, and Creative Writing. I have worked with emotionally vulnerable people on initiatives to prevent violent extremism, and run poetry workshops in local primary schools. I have delivered workshops and training programmes to both schools and businesses (see testimonials.) A skilled teacher and teaching coach, I pride myself on delivering engaging trainings that fully engage all aspects of people's thinking,
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In terms of my work in thinking skills, I have over 20 years experience designing and writing for high stakes aptitude tests, including questions that assess critical thinking, data analysis, logical thinking and problem-solving. I was a senior examiner for the UK A level in Critical Thinking, and am currently a senior examiner for the International A level Knowledge and Inquiry. I have co-authored textbooks and papers in Nature magazine on how to assess evidence across different academic fields, as well as acting as a consultant on programmes to help people assess claims in health and medicine. Prior to teaching I worked in radio.
