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Memorandum submitted by Paul Kelly, Headteacher, Birkdale Primary School, Sefton
Summary of main points:
Developing creative teaching and learning methodologies, especially since the involvement of Creative Partnerships, has led to the following improved outcomes:
1. Significantly higher attainment that has been sustained across all subjects and at all levels. 2. A wider range of skills and talents have been nurtured and developed. 3. Gifted and talented students and those with SENs from a wide range of backgrounds have responded positively to the individualised learning that can be accommodated using creative methods. 4. ASTs have been highly effective in achieving strategic change in networked schools, at no extra financial cost. These school have included those with the most challenging needs. 5. CPD for staff has provided powerful research to validate results and, at the same time, develop individual expertise. 6. Creative Partnerships has maintained an effective brokerage service between schools and creatives/artists and has actively promoted development of skills and understanding leading to more positive outcomes including the re-engagement of the most challenging students. 7. The promotion of the widest range of creative individuals and organisations has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for many students who do not appreciate that their individual talent could lead to legitimate employment and the development of a strong, world-class cultural identity. 8. The use of creative teaching and learning is no quick fix. However, it does have the potential to give ownership of the educational process back to the student whilst, at the same time, uniting individuals, local communities and national identities. We can strive for individual excellence and, at the same time, celebrate difference. We can be proud keepers of our national, cultural heritage and have the courage to embrace wider, international and pluralistic themes that are common to all mankind. 1) The school is a 11/2 form entry primary school with an attached nursery (NOR 357). The area around school is scheduled for housing regeneration consisting of a large stock of small, Victorian dwellings. Since 1999, when the school's free meals numbers was roughly half the national average, the area has declined demographically and the current figure is just above the national average. The Index of Multiple Deprivation places the school on the 35th percentile (with the 1st representing the greatest level of deprivation). The vast majority of children are of White British heritage. There are a significant number of children who are, or who have been, on the 'At Risk' register (up to 4% of school population). The school has an outstanding reputation for inclusion and educates children from a wide range of SEN's including ASD (5); partially hearing (3); partially sighted (1); Cerebral Palsy (3) Primary Microcephaly and Schizencephaly (1) plus a growing number of complex medical needs including Diabetes, Scoliosis, Hydrocephaly and Brittle Bones; this is in addition to the normal range of children with specific learning difficulties.
2) Attainment: When considering the difference in attainment compared with national results there is a significant improvement following our engagement with Creative Partnerships:
This year's score of 282 continues a clear trend (even allowing for cohorts of different strength). When this year's results are compared in more detail with the last available national scores then all subjects are seen to be better as well as scores for the more able child:
3) RAISEonline also identifies extremely strong CVA scores for the previous two years and together with individual attainment scores shows the school (at the 35th percentile for deprivation) able to achieve results for maths, for instance, in the top 4% of the country.
Other achievements and benefits from Creative Partnerships involvement:
4) PROCESS: · Promoted greater commitment and enthusiasm · Generated a lot of excitement and fun · Helped to develop innovative teaching and learning · Encouraged risk-taking and a 'can-do' attitude · Supported skill development · Has taken the children (and staff) outside their immediate environment and widened their horizons · Necessitated a greater understanding of skills/knowledge and cultural values and how these can be applied to develop learning · Facilitated compassion and sensitivity towards others (e.g. inclusion) · Facilitated tolerance and understanding towards differences (e.g. cultural) · Provided an appropriate methodology to engage individual children with challenging behaviours in the learning process · Empowered the children by permitting them ownership of the learning process
5) PRODUCT: · Significantly raised standards of attainment · Significantly raised standards of value added at the end of KS2 · Higher than average attendance · Sustained a broad and balanced curriculum, inclusive to all · Raised level of entitlement for all, externally benchmarked · Greater confidence and raised self-esteem · More highly skilled workforce with raised expectations · More stimulating environment that reflects the creative process · Greater enthusiasm for future initiatives · Development of leadership in school through delegated responsibilities for specific projects · Wider opportunities for staff to work cooperatively in school and network with colleagues beyond school · Greater team spirit among staff - even though they are probably working harder they laugh more! · Healthier social environment with staff perceiving their efforts to be more valued · Opportunities to showcase many of the projects to parents etc leading to raised expectations · Encouraged/persuaded other schools, institutions and individuals to develop their own creative response in a variety of partnerships · Highlighted an area of excellence (creativity and the arts), recognised internationally, and able to be demonstrated on a world stage. Many of our international visitors in genuine awe at the experiences offered to our children - especially in partnership with professional creatives.
6) The projects with Creative Partnerships (21 projects throughout the whole primary age-range involving up to 30+ Creative individuals -see appendix one- and/or organisations) proved to be the perfect vehicle to introduce the essential elements of many, recent Government initiatives, in particular: 'Excellence and Enjoyment', 'Expecting the Unexpected' and 'Every Child Matters'
7) Utilising a creative curriculum has enabled Gifted and Talented children from a wide range of family backgrounds to attain a level of expertise in learning to play an orchestral instrument to ABRSM Grade Standards (Frequently Grade 3 and on two occasions up to Grade 5 which equates to a GCE standard of attainment). Currently all children learn to play the recorder and up to half the children in KS2 classes also learn to play another musical instrument - fulfilling the 'Wider Opportunities' agenda. Together with 2 choirs, 3 ensemble groups and an entitlement to good quality singing for every child from nursery to year 6 this is one of the main reasons, we would contend, that our maths results are so high.
8) Similarly, with the wide use of drama techniques across the curriculum this is having a significant impact on our ability to raise standards in English. (HMI visiting school as part of the OfSTED inspection of Creative Partnerships: Initiative and Impact, cited the work they saw on Shakespeare in year 6 as an example of outstanding teaching.)
9) OfSTED confirmed the outstanding curriculum is 'rich, stimulating and innovative' and we have evidence that the use of creative artists of a high calibre has had a profoundly positive impact on our students with the most challenging needs, including those who are Looked After and in danger of exclusion.
10) Delivery of change to networked schools: The use of Birkdale Primary's Advanced Skills Teachers has proved to be an effective means of enabling change amongst networks of schools. At no cost to the host school the staff have been able to initiate and sustain changes at the strategic level to the way in which other schools are able to raise standards through creative teaching and learning. Confirmation of this success has been identified in several CP studies and research at higher degree level.
11) Continuing Professional Development for staff includes the opportunity to develop new skills and talents from working with the creative/artist. 3 currently working towards Master's degrees and 1 towards a PhD. 3 NQT staff recently appointed all with 1st class honours degrees; this emphasises my contention that qualifications need to be at the highest level if we are to inspire young people (In Finland all teachers enter the profession at Masters level).
12) Creative Partnerships has also provided professional development for creative artists to learn how to interact more effectively in educational settings e.g. their role in developing higher standards of speaking and listening whatever the artist's discipline.
13) I have recently helped to validate a Postgraduate Diploma in Performing Arts Leadership awarded by the Royal Northern College of Music (which could also lead to a Masters degree in the future) which gives creative artists the ability to develop many of the skills taught on ITT courses but without the Qualified Teacher Status which, they say, would negatively impact on the relationships they can build up with students by NOT being identified as a teacher.
14) Economic benefits and the relationship with education in the future: The traditional, industrial model of the economy is no longer relevant. Likewise, Victorian models of education will not produce the skills and talents that students in the 21st Century are going to need in order to sustain a vibrant and innovative economy. Professor Ken Robinson's 'All Our Futures' began the debate many years ago and it is essential that we respond to the needs of a society where a significant number of jobs have not yet been invented.
15) We have a world class reputation for our cultural achievements and this generates an enormous income for the Country. In micro economic terms the sheer number of adult creatives/artists and the fields they represent was a really powerful incentive to our students who had not realised that this offered a legitimate path to future employment. The role of Creative Partnerships in brokering such relationships was effective and, I suspect, even more of an incentive to secondary students.
16) Not only did the projects have an impact in school but when the artists where identified within the local community this was a highly positive means of cementing local identity. Students visiting creatives in their working environment was also productive in opening students' eyes to wider opportunities and a wider world full of possibilities.
17) As well as achieving higher standards of attainment the employment of creative teaching and learning methodologies gave the ownership of the education process back to the students. Creative Partnerships proved to be the perfect vehicle in uniting the two great power houses of education in this country: the university and the school nursery. Both create high quality educational environments. Both encourage risk taking and endeavour at the highest level because they are attractive to their students and develop the individual's natural instinct to learn. With the support of creative Partnerships we have been able to bridge the gap between the two with experiences and challenges that are 'rich, innovative and stimulating'. It generated a 'yes and' culture rather than a 'yes but' culture that suggested anything was possible.
July 2007
List of artists/creatives and significant others who have worked on CP projects since the beginning of our involvement. This is to identify the wide range of different skills that have been encountered (and usually adopted by staff as CPD). A * indicates an area or type of activity used more than once (often with a different focus).
· 3D artist and sculpture · Banner maker · Pen & Ink (Celtic design) · Poet · Set designer · Song writer (original composition) · Choreographer* · Composer · Film producer (including animation and location filming) · Web-designer · Photographer (digital cameras - on location: Geography field work) · Photographer (Press photographer - telling the story) · Radio Producer (set text edited by children onto CD with sound effects) · Sound technicians (Shakespeare CD) · Actors* · Potter* various ceramics* · Batik/tapestry · Story-teller · Disabled musician (guitar) (aim to 'inspire' children into a greater understanding of disabled adults - even took his false arm off and sent it around the children to hold! Extremely valuable and empowering for us in a school with wheelchair users) · Architect / designer (Sorrell Foundation) · Henna (traditional Indian designs) · Food technologist and costumes (illustrative of Asian culture) · Tabla & Sitar player (and percussionist) · Mask maker* (used to facilitate improvisation of characters in set texts) · Model/ Map maker (large 3D physical map of Chembakolli) · Book designer · Journalist/sub-editor · OU lecturer (Dr Dorothy Faulkner+ Mathilda Joubert) working with group of year 5 children on 'Children's Voice' teaching research techniques.
Mathilda Joubert has also led INSET to all staff on creativity and change.
Peter Greenhalgh has worked with several staff over a period of time on 'Learn to Learn' project
The school has twice hosted Advanced Skills Creatives groups (KS2 and KS1)
We have also established links with Trinity College Dublin where staff from school have presented various seminars and workshops based on CP work and one member of staff is completing a Master's degree using the projects as part of his research.
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