Memorandum submitted by Mr. A.
Anderson, Creative Partnerships Co-ordinator, Haslingden High School
1. Executive Summary
Paragraph 2 - 4 Introduction
to submitter and vision for creativity.
Paragraph
5 - 15 Project outline, impact and
evidence.
Paragraph
16 Future recommendations.
2. Introduction
to submitter and vision for a creativity based approach to education.
As Head of Drama at Haslingden High School I was
already working in an institution where creativity was fostered as the heart of
a healthy curriculum. Its Specialist
Schools Status as a Performing Arts College and achievement of Artsmark Gold
validate this.
3. The
School's involvement with Creative Partnerships, and my role as School
Co-ordinator have, however, further developed my understanding of
creativity. Through involving creative
practitioners and working closely with teachers, students understanding of
their curriculum and the world in which they live is enriched and enlivened by
exciting, demanding and innovative ways of approaching learning. We believe that students thus develop skills
that outlive projects and are then fostered by the schools gradual tailoring of
a curriculum that responds meaningfully to 'student voice.' Students are then empowered in a way that
both utilises and regenerates their creativity equipping them as lifelong
creative learners.
4. The
School has undertaken one project and is in the middle of the delivery of a
second project. We are currently
developing a third hugely ambitious project for next year that will impact
across the whole school through all curriculum areas. All these projects mark incremental steps towards further
realising the vision of creativity in education at Haslingden High School that
is at the heart of Creative Partnerships ideology.
5. Specific
project delivery in pursuit of these aims
6. Title
of project: Human Rights
Curriculum
area: Humanities
Target group: Year
9.
7. Outline
of project:
The project brought together the diverse elements of
the Humanities curriculum across RE, Geography and History to focus on issues
of Human Rights, with both a historical and current emphasis.
8. The
project was launched by 'Amnesty International' in an assembly. Over two days students worked with a number
of creative practitioners (a poet, an African storyteller, a singer, a visual
artist, a dancer and a drama practitioner).
By exploring issues through these creative means students were made
aware of how people whose human rights are exploited often turn to creativity
as an outlet (slave songs, rap etc).
Historical reference to human rights was deepened by personalisation of
similar issues in the students' lives through drama, dance and
storytelling. Current human rights
issues were explored and reflected upon by students who responded to the
practitioners and their work with respect and sensitivity appropriate to the
subject. The School's Arts Council have
created DVDs and Powerpoint presentations to give to their individual year
groups.
9. Impact of
project
The staff involved in the project have been inspired
and have developed new creative approaches to teaching as a result of this
project. This has led to a wider range
of teaching and learning styles being used and greater teacher confidence in
using creative approaches to learning.
10. Students'
aspirations have been raised by innovative approaches to the subject of Human
Rights. Students have experienced
working with a broad range of professional arts practitioners and have been
involved in the planning of the project.
Consequently students have been involved in, and have witnessed, the way
in which professionals work thus raising their own aspirations for their
working life.
11. Students
demonstrated their increased empathy with the subject through the exploration
of material using arts practitioners.
Several students were shocked by their capacity for expression in art,
poetry and song. As a result of the day
students were made to consider the real implications of people whose human
rights have been exploited. This was
achieved through the arts giving them a platform to personalise the real life
experiences of others less fortunate than themselves.
12. Title
of project: Illustrated horror
stories
Curriculum
area: English and Art
Target
group: Year 7 English and Year 13 Art.
13. Outline
of project:
This is a multi-faceted project designed to foster a
love of writing and address the needs of the English curriculum for writing
realistically. A Year 7 English group
are working with a drama practitioner and story-teller improvising ideas
practically before developing into stories.
Year 13 Art students working closely with the authors and an illustrator
will then illustrate these stories. The
work will also include a local primary school.
The Year 7 English group will be involved in workshops delivered to Year
6 students by Theatre Studies students from Haslingden High School. The Year 6 students will then write
poems. The illustrated stories and
poems will then be published.
14. Expected
impact of project
Through
this fostering of students instinctive creativity, measurable progress in
writing skills will be developed by the story-teller. The Art students will further develop their understanding of
working to a specified brief and will satisfy the needs of their coursework requirements. By seeing their work published all students
will be involved in the process of producing a professional publication thus
contributing to their future enhanced economic well-being.
15. With
all Creative Partnerships projects the 'Every Child Matters' outcomes are at
the heart of planning.
16. Recommendation
for future action
We fully recommend that the government continue to,
and increase, their level of funding for Creative Partnerships. The expansion of Creative Partnerships
across a wider range of schools will enable many more students to experience a
creative, dynamic and innovative approach to their education as we have seen in
evidence in our own school.
July 2007
