Memorandum submitted by Gus Grimshaw, Teyfant Community School, Bristol I am Headteacher of the above school that was fortunate to be part of the Creative partnership pilot that ran in Bristol schools. I have been a Headteacher in Primary schools since 1982 and have seen so many changes in practice during this time. The recent QCA led Future's curriculum has illustrated to me how much good practice has been lost and I welcome this opportunity to celebrate the creative arts and their place in education. 1. How should we define creativity in the context of education and childcare? Creativity is when the learner takes ownership of the process and the end product. Too often the educator is in total control of both process and product. 2. What effect have existing creative initiatives had on teachers' skills and ability to work with creative professional in the classroom? Creative Partnership challenged the existing practice within this school. For many teachers having an extra adult in the classroom was threatening - to have an extra adult who contributed so much into the planning and delivery of curriculum was beyond their experience. Trust was established (though this was not a quick process) and the teacher began to lose their "stranglehold" upon teaching and learning. The teacher for the first time in many years became a true learner in their own classrooms! The teacher lost the role as instructor and became an equal partner. This enabled many teachers to accept that their role was a facilitator of learning. The exchange of skills was rapid. Teachers wanted to acquire new techniques new and engaging challenges for young learners. 3. What are the implications of a curriculum shift in favour of creativity for the training of heads, teachers and cultural animators?
We have to accept that creativity will produce a wider range of results and these are not always easy to quantify. If we are encouraging and promoting thinking outside the box then we will have to support a profession of risk takers - not promoted highly in the present climate for our classroom teachers!
5. What special contribution do the arts have to make to creative education? Unique - the arts are about looking for new ways to express, to represent to understand: the world in which young learners are growing up. Too much in early education is about right or wrong way to do things -
7. What evidence is there that a creative curriculum assists achievement in other areas? The whole concept of learning and the ways in which we learn is a new science. Creativity allows the learner to interpret for themselves and in the ways that they feel most comfortable. This understanding and ownership of their own learning allows the young child to have a positive experience and enhances their self esteem. Success = motivation. By understanding one's own strengths one can appreciate the qualities others have and this leads to empathy, team work and respect. Engagement and purpose are also encouraged by a creative curriculum. 10 How can creativity be embedded across the curriculum and within the philosophy of schools? Promoting and highlighting the creativity seen in many schools. Reducing the expectation of sameness which has been promoted through National Strategies and programmes. Bringing the opportunities of "third Session" days into the remit of the school day and allowing teachers to promote a fun for learning.
July 2007 |