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Memorandum submitted by Bradford College School of Teaching Health and Care, University Centre, Bradford College
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1) The discussion within this memorandum broadly concurs with the findings of the OFSTED report published in 2006 in relation to the value of creative approaches in the curriculum. 2) Contested concepts of the nature and definition of creativity remain. At Higher Education (HE))/Initial Teacher Training (ITT) level, debate and critical reflection around the nature of creativity should be encouraged and critical evaluative skills fostered to enable learners to make clearer links to their classroom practice. They should then be well-placed to enable pupils to understand "how to apply creative qualities independently and develop original ideas and outcomes" (OFSTED, 2006) 3) Accredited pathways of creative training and development should be available, e.g. from Trinity Arts Awards (starting at age 11yrs, through to postgraduate education). Such a pathway is being developed at Bradford College. 4) Accredited Continuing Professional Development (CPD) should be available at postgraduate level. Multidisciplinary training and CPD should be available to enable classroom practitioners and creative practitioners to understand how to work together to achieve desired outcomes. 5) Examples exist of schools adopting a creative curriculum. A whole-school approach that engages all learners, parents, staff and governors, supported by adequate resources and strong facilitative leadership skills is required. 6) Bradford College School of Teaching Health and Care has integrated creativity into curriculum subject areas for many years and, in some areas, provides INSET training throughout the country. Beginning teachers are taking this into local schools and it is being adopted by classroom practitioners. In rewriting the BA (Hons.) with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) degree, creative education and education for creativity play a central role. 7) Good practice in delivering creative approaches exists within Creative Partnership areas. Good practice also exists outside of the activity of Creative Partnerships. This should be mapped and taken into account in considering and developing the future role of Creative Partnerships.
INTRODUCTION
Bradford College School of Teaching, Health and Care is a major provider of ITT from Early Years through to Post-Compulsory Education. The School also delivers a Foundation Degree in Creative Practice in Community Settings and has links with arts organisations and Creative Partnerships locally. This memorandum has been compiled by staff teaching across the full range of provision throughout the School. This provision together with the courses in Youth, Community, Health and Social Care offers opportunities to study at and progress through Further Education (FE), undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Information is submitted under the headings of the original questions, and paragraphs are numbered accordingly for ease of reference.
1) How should we define creativity in the context of education and child care?
1.1 From responses, it is clear that creativity remains a contested concept (see Craft, 2002, Owen 2007). The idea of educating and training 'the artist' remains key for some colleagues whilst others look upon creativity in the wider sense of developing a set of problem-solving and critical thinking skills that equip learners for a wide range of learning/employment scenarios. All see the value of using creative approaches to teaching across the curriculum. Exposing learners to the range of views about creativity can be helpful so long as they are made explicit within provision of different learning experiences. It is important that learners in HE settings are exposed to the range of theoretical underpinning and are encouraged to develop their skills in critical evaluation of theory and practice.
1.2 Experience demonstrates that the successful activities are those in which careful planning ensures that the school and creative practitioner work to a shared concept of creative practice mapped against desired learning outcomes. Notable examples include the work of Artworks Creative Communities and Pipeline Productions (Bradford-based arts organisations) who provide rap workshops within schools and other education settings. Briefs are carefully worked out with the education setting prior to delivery and are evaluated carefully afterwards.
1.3 It should also be noted that some schools have been offering a creative curriculum for a long time, e.g. Montessori, Steiner/Waldorf and Reggio Emilia.
2) What effect have existing creative initiatives had on teachers' skills and ability to work with creative professionals in the classroom?
2.1 Our present learners have the opportunity to engage with creative practitioners through a set of workshops delivered within the Creative Practice Foundation Degree. These are now being offered to learners across the School. Experienced practitioners are invited into College to facilitate the workshops and explain the basis of their practice. The cross-curricular approach is beneficial in beginning the dialogue around the language of creative practice and developing shared understandings of the potential of Creative Partnerships. It has to be noted that not all practitioners used in College and School are involved with Creative Partnerships.
2.2 Within current ITT provision, both undergraduate and postgraduate students are encouraged to explore ways in which integrated, practical and interesting activities can engage the learner and provide reinforcement of specific subject concepts and contexts. Work takes place within core areas of language, maths, science and IT and within Foundation Subjects, e.g. geography, art, drama. Storytelling, creative writing, drama, photography, visits etc. are all used effectively to engage our learners and enable them to use these approaches in their own practice. Visits to local and national museums, galleries, theatres etc. are an integral part of courses, allowing learners to immerse themselves in a creative environment and learn how to work with education/interpretive staff and create effective learning opportunities for young people.
2.3. The past year has seen us develop a set of INSET programmes across the country for three INSET providers and a more creative Geography Curriculum is now being prepared in those schools that have been represented. Humanities subjects have also been promoted as real world contexts for aspects of core subjects so that the young learner experiences an immersion in learning throughout any school week. Our own beginning teachers, in turn, promote the creative curriculum and teachers in school are now taking this on board.
3) What are the implications of a curriculum shift in favour of creativity for the training of heads, teachers and cultural animateurs?
3.2 A whole-school approach, from the consultation stage onwards, is advocated to develop ethos and understanding, (e.g. Feasey, Managing Schools Today, 2007). This has been adopted in the current rewriting of the BA (Hons.) QTS course at Bradford College.
3.3 An experiential approach to CPD is needed. Animateurs need to work in partnership with schools to gain understanding of school approach & any constraints within curriculum.
3.3 School governors should be included too.
3.4 Make CPD available at PGDip/MA level. Practitioners are more likely to engage with a process for which they gain accreditation. CPD Pathways need developing for emerging animateurs. Existing provision within Bradford College will lead from the, Foundation Degree (Fd) Creative Practice to a 'top-up' at level three, BA Art, Community and Health which will be validated on 2007/8. CPD needs to be developed within cross-curricular modules at Postgraduate level to foster a multidisciplinary approach.
4) How might parents and education and care providers be persuaded to encourage creativity in the home?
4.4 The writers' experience suggests that most parents and carers do not need encouragement but opportunity (especially those parents/carers who have had few opportunities to develop their own creativity). Opportunities do not always have to relate to 'art' e.g. a recent 'Earthquake Day' at Queensbury School (a secondary school in the South-West of Bradford District), which engaged school and wider community very successfully. The key is to find ways to demonstrate the value and relevance of creative approaches.
5) What special contribution do the arts have to make to creative education?
5.1 Experience of the arts promotes ways of thinking about and understanding the world, different ways of 'knowing'. Arts activities can be useful in engaging the affective domain (esp. in reflective practice) and emancipatory aspects of learning. We are able to enable a growth of independence that comes from acknowledgement and affirmation of the individual learner. Learners are enriched and challenged so that they can move forward creatively in all areas of life and learning. Integrated activities "can engage the learner and provide reinforcement of specific subject concepts and contexts, before having the learner simply write, or complete worksheets".
5.2 Aspects of the 'creative and performing arts' e.g. role play, drama, painting, music and dance can open up understanding of the past in a way that the written word cannot for some learners. This makes subject knowledge accessible to all, i.e. learning is not dependent upon the ability to read and write.
5.3 In our experience, a number of myths around creativity and education have permeated practice. These are outlined below:
5.3a It's OK for Early Years but beyond this, creativity is often seen as "disorganised and messy" and "for little children". This appears to derive from a particular perception of creativity solely relating to arts activities.
5.3b All arts activity is creative - e.g. some aspects of developing the discipline are repetitive. In other words, some approaches are more relevant than others in engaging young people in learning and teachers should have access to a range of activities and 'tools' to facilitate learning. Therefore, careful consideration of media for delivery is important, e.g. utilising Information Technology & audiovisual technologies may be more immediately engaging to young people than some traditional approaches.
5.3c Everything should be delivered within school hours - usefulness of the 'extended school' in providing opportunities for engagement. Also important to provide support to foster creativity e.g. studio areas - not just about teaching.
These issues should be considered within INSET and CPD provision.
6) To what degree should creative education be structured to accommodate the needs of creative industries?
6.1 This question links in with comments in paragraph 1.1 and the diversity of definitions of creative industry. Therefore, opportunities for those who see themselves as developing artists and provision of a creative skills base for those entering other areas of work (e.g. science and engineering) are both seen as important. In the same way that integrated curriculum should not mean that subjects such as Science, Geography, History etc. lose the discrete subject elements, neither should art/music/drama etc. However, learners need to be made aware of the possibilities of using creative approaches to solving-problems generating a range of interpretations etc, within a wide range of subject areas/work environments. It is not just a question of developing creative practitioners to work in schools. It should also be recognised that arts organisations, theatre groups, artists, authors etc. have been working with schools for many years.
6.2 There is a need to work more closely to agree and achieve learning outcomes across curriculum. Teachers need to work to make links explicit for learners (and parents/carers) so that value of working with creative practitioners is not dissipated.
6.3 The value of Creative Partnership's continuing work might be in promoting strategy nationally, providing examples of good practice, training and CPD etc. Creative Partnerships should work closely with local organisations. Impact on local economies should be considered where arts organisations doing similar work to a high standard already exist.
7) What evidence is there that a creative curriculum assists achievement in other areas?
7.1 Within the rap workshops mentioned in paragraph 1.2, the impact on literacy, numeracy, PHSE & citizenship issues is noticeable. Learners become more engaged in the process of deeper learning. French GCSE exam results in a Manchester secondary school improved from d/e to b/c's following the engagement of two rap artists (one French, one Belgian) to work with a group of underachieving boys (Centre for Public Policy Seminar, Manchester Art Gallery, October 2006)
7.2 Creative reflective practice makes effective links to work-based learning. Storytelling, journaling, poetry etc. are methods that have been used successfully within delivery of Personal Development and Planning (PDP) modular provision on courses across the School.
7.3 Some anecdotal evidence suggests that, where desired/expected outcomes have not been met, it has been due to mismatch between the activity and the desired learning outcomes, often due to misunderstanding of the purpose behind the use of creative approaches.
8) What is the impact of a creative curriculum on
a) pupil confidence, motivation, behaviour and teamwork, and b) literacy, numeracy ICT and communication skills?
8.1 Creative approaches have been very successful in developing confidence, speaking and listening and negotiation skills (through storytelling, drama, puppet theatre and dance etc.). See also, paragraph 7.1. Work with a local arts organisation has been observed in which digital arts, music, drama, storytelling/scriptwriting and rap were successful in re-engaging young people excluded from school, or at risk of exclusion, addressing all of the areas covered in a & b.
8.2 The neuroscientific work of Damasio (1999) and others lends support to the potential beneficial effects of engaging in creative activity that can, in turn, have a positive impact upon attitudes towards and motivation to learn.
NB: Provision of creative activities as a means of engaging with 'disaffected' young people needs caution. Whilst the approach has been very effective, it has led to resentful comments from other learners, "why do they get to have all the fun when we have been doing our work properly"; i.e. need to provide an INCLUSIVE creative curriculum and work to resist the misconception that creative activities are simply a diversionary strategy.
9) How can creative achievement among young people be acknowledged and assessed?
9.1 This depends upon the purposes of celebration or assessment. It is necessary to consider what is useful to assess; the resulting product or reflection on process and consideration of personal/professional growth? We need to avoid patronising young people/tokenism.
9.2 One scheme presently working in Bradford is the ACE/Trinity Hall Arts Award Scheme. This operates along similar lines to the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, enabling young people to engage with their personal development through arts activities. From 2008, young people undertaking the Awards will be able to claim UCAS points towards entry into FE/HE. Bradford College is now becoming involved in the training of Art Awards Advisors and hopes to offer this training as part of INSET programmes in future (for teachers, creative practitioners and YCD workers).
10) How can creativity be embedded across the curriculum and within the philosophy of schools?
10.1 See earlier responses, Q1 and Q3. This requires whole-school approach supported by facilitative leadership and appropriate resources. CPD needs to be available (and, probably, accredited). Peer mentoring and support is necessary for teachers testing out new approaches in classroom practice, e.g. opportunities for formative observation not linked in to appraisal system.
10.2 Importance of 'training the trainers' needs to be stressed. Any approach needs to be embedded within ITT provision with opportunities to make cross-curricular links with other HE courses (especially in relation to ECM, addressing the need for multi-agency approaches/solutions). Examples of current practice within Bradford College are noted earlier. These issues are also being considered within the rewrite of the new BAQTS course.
11) How can creativity in schools best be linked to the real world of work and leisure?
11.1 Cross-curricular projects involving visits/involvement from industry specialists are important. Provide opportunities to engage in a wide range of leisure activities within school to foster appreciation of validity of creative process. Introduce the mentoring of learners by practitioners, including the mentoring of staff as part of CPD. Provide work-based learning opportunities linked to reflective practice within ITT.
Again, there are examples of good practice within existing provision as noted earlier.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Best practice in delivering a creative curriculum should involve:
1) Awareness of the diversity of definitions and need to ensure clarity amongst those delivering creative activities:
- agree purpose of activity - link clearly to desired learning outcomes - encourage critical reflection and evaluation
2) A whole-school approach to delivery, supported by training, CPD activities and appropriate resources. Involve governors and parents from consultation through to delivery and evaluation.
3) Ensure that there is a range of creative activity that is inclusive of all young people and can cater for G&T and 'disengaged' learners. Use appropriate media to engage learners.
4) Involve outside agencies where appropriate, e.g. creative practitioners, industry specialists, public services etc. Ensure common understanding of purpose and desired outcomes.
5) Provide pathways of development from Foundation stage through KS1-4, into FE/HE & beyond. Consider opportunities to accredit CPD for teachers and creative practitioners at appropriate levels.
July 2007
REFERENCES
Craft, A. (2001) An analysis of research and literature on Creativity in Education. Report commissioned for QCA (www.qca.org.uk).
Damasio, A. (2000) The feeling of what happens: body, emotion and consciousness. London: Vintage.
Feasey, R. (2007) 'Starting from Scratch' in Managing Schools Today, 16:4 April/May 2007.
OFSTED (2006) Creative Partnerships: initiative and impact. HMSO
Owen, N. (2007) 'Understanding the 100 languages of creativity' in English in Education: Research Journal of the National Association for the Teaching of English, Summer 2007, Vol. 41, No.2.
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