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| Counterblast The Children Come First Jacqueline Laver Click here for a print version of this article. 'The Children Come First' is the motto that permeates every corner of our school. "We feel lucky that our little boy is in such a fantastic school". This is reflected in the views of the vast majority of parents. The visionary leadership of the headteacher inspires all staff, pupils and parents to live up to their motto of 'The Children Come First.' (Ofsted) The history In July 2001 I was faced with the biggest challenge of my teaching career. Having been at Priory School since 1989 I had seen many changes and been part of a team that saw a failing school become a highly successful school with a national profile. I saw the reintroduction of the dreaded 'integrated day' which left me exhausted after trying to establish if Billy had covered the multitude of planned activities for the day, or had he managed to spend the entire day playing with Lego! Several years later I witnessed the lorry arriving delivering those monumental folders that were The National Curriculum. How did anyone ever believe that we would be able to deliver ten attainment targets in mathematics? However I still believed in the Plowden report and that beautiful statement, 'At the heart of the educational process lies the child.' By then we had been told that 'The School Curriculum is at the heart of education' (DES 1981). Gradually schools came under pressure to deliver a subject based curriculum with that incredible over-emphasis on Core Subjects. With testing and league tables the demise of Creativity was inevitable. The Headteacher at Priory at that time had many great leadership qualities. She was most definitely passionate about children's education. She worked with the TDA and Tony Blair's Education Task Force and brought the school into the public eye. I could not have found a better place in terms of professional development – a Beacon School, a highly successful inspection in October 2000 where we were identified as a school with no areas of weakness and no key issues for action. However, a hard lesson was learnt. The Headteacher went on long term sick leave in November 2000 and eventually retired in July 2001. I became Acting Head until January 2002 when I had to answer that great Clash lyric, 'Should I stay or should I go?' Reflections I stayed, despite the challenge of being faced with an already excellent Beacon School and very high standards of attainment. In the eyes of many there was only one way to go. However, I believed that our school had created SATs robots. We taught maths, English and science at every opportunity, even during the school holidays, for Year 2 and Year 6. The children and teachers were bored. There was so much prescription and no motivation or inspiration. Learning and teaching were sterile. I asked myself the question, 'What has happened to the development of the WHOLE child?' The start of something great and a huge risk Learning and teaching must unlock the potential of every child. Academic ability alone can no longer guarantee success or personal achievement. All of our children have capabilities beyond the academic. Children who do have high academic abilities may have other strengths that are often rejected. Children who struggle with their academic work can have outstanding abilities in other areas. High standards in creative achievement require as much rigour as 'traditional' academic work. With these thoughts in mind the introduction of Creative Partnerships in September 2002 was the catalyst for our journey. A meeting in July 2002 informed Slough headteachers about CP (Creative Partnerships). Managed by the Arts Council and funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education and Skills, the aim of CP is to provide school children across England with the opportunity to develop creativity in learning and to take part in cultural activities of the highest quality. Originally based in sixteen local authorities, selected for their significant deprivation, CP has now spread far and wide across the country with 1000 core schools in thirty six local authorities. CP believes that it can transform the aspirations and attitudes of teachers and schools and the practices of creative practitioners and organisations that wish to work in schools. I came away from that meeting so inspired. This was my opportunity to radically change the learning and teaching in my school. It was a time where pure passion and positive thinking led me to make decisions that could have gone drastically wrong. However, I knew it was the right thing to do. I believed that we could bring back creativity and maintain those high standards, and that excellence and enjoyment could become a reality. The curriculum was in line for a total overhaul, and of course, not before time. Inspiring the staff One of the biggest challenges facing a headteacher is gaining the trust of your staff. In a school with 760 pupils and over 100 adults this was going to be significant. Having started to hatch my plan, the Eureka moment hit me. I knew that I wanted to change the way the curriculum was structured and delivered as well as becoming involved in the CP programme. The two things seemed to neatly go hand in hand. The curriculum needed to have meaning and relevance. For me, that relevance was going to be through works of art. Why? Having been an art advisory teacher in the days when advisory teachers, really did give advice, I spent a great deal of time exploring Works of Art with children and teachers. I believed that it could open up a whole new way of learning and teaching by building the curriculum around different Works of Art. So in July 2002 I shared my vision with the staff. We were going to teach all of the Foundation subjects using Works of Art as the focus. Creative Partnerships would be an integral part of this process. Our aim would be 'To enable children to become innovative and creative learners who achieve the highest possible academic, artistic and technical standards throughout all areas of the curriculum.' There was that inevitable moment where I started to have self doubt as I saw one or two individuals turn a whiter shade of pale during the staff meeting, but my memories of Lord Tennyson poetry drove me forward. " 'Courage!' he said and pointed towards the land. 'This mounting wave will roll us shoreward soon.' " (The Lotus Eaters). A day's INSET course at the National Gallery was all it took to get everyone on board. They understood and believed in what I was trying to achieve and what the vision really could be. The Creative Learning Curriculum September 2002 saw the start of a journey to create what is now affectionately known as the Creative Learning Curriculum (CLC). The staff took ownership of the project at this point. This was to be their curriculum. Year group teachers worked together for a term, planning the year's overview and curriculum content in detail based on six different Works of Art, one each half term. Existing planning was used but teachers were free to change whatever they felt necessary. The National Curriculum objectives are embedded in the CLC. We created a cross curricular curriculum reminiscent of topic work but with a rigorous framework. Delivery Teachers introduce each painting in different ways to the children, exploring themes raised by the children in discussion. The afternoon sessions for half a term are then focused on the different subject elements identified in the detailed planning. There is great diversity in delivery of material with emphasis upon the use of in depth discussion, drama, ICT and multi-media, and practical approaches. Children are encouraged to record their work in individual ways that include mind mapping, graphics, bullet points, diagrams and note taking. Children's individual learning styles are continually being developed. This is also having a significant effect on their work across the Core subjects. Staff receive ongoing training in the latest philosophy, methods and techniques regarding learning and teaching styles. Teachers provide varied, creative frames on which the children can record their work. This means that the delivery of the lesson may be the same for a group of children but the learning outcome and method of recording is very individual. Children no longer use traditional exercise books. Their work is kept in ring binders with subject dividers. Children are still aware of how their work relates to subjects but understand the crosscurricular nature of what is being taught. At the end of each half-term the children make their work into books with a contents page and a front cover. The children therefore have six unique and individual books at the end of every year. The CLC is monitored, evaluated and assessed continually and performance is an integral part of this curriculum, both formal and informal. The use of creative partners, visits, museums and galleries The use of creative partners and visits are a fundamental part of the Creative Learning Curriculum. Creative professionals are heavily involved in the planning process and are used to enhance, develop and support the curriculum. Partners include visual artists, authors, dance groups from many different cultures and genres, instrumentalists, drama specialists, theatre groups, chefs, gardeners, film makers, photographers, graphic designers and teachers from local secondary schools. Visits are planned to be an integral part of curriculum delivery and are a frequent occurrence for all year groups. Parents have subsequently revisited some of the places to share the experience with their children and to broaden their knowledge. Visits have included trips to places of religious interest, national and local art galleries and museums, towns of historical interest, places with geographical features of interest, theatres, farms, parks, gardens and nature/wildlife study locations. Parents have also become creative partners. Children have learnt much about creative careers through working with creative-professional parents with whom they are very familiar and who they now see in a new light. Parents are also encouraged to join in with creative activities and visits. Now coming to the end of the fourth year of the programme, a huge amount of evidence has been collected which shows the positive effect on both learning and teaching that the partnerships have had. Without these partnerships, the curriculum would still have been re-engineered and highly improved. However, by teachers and pupils engaging in rich creative and cultural partnerships with professionals, a new depth has been given to the project. As well as the huge benefits partners bring to the children's learning, enjoyment and motivation, their involvement has had a major impact on the staff. By working with the partners in the classroom and also in dedicated INSET sessions, teachers have also developed impressive new skills! Evaluations show that they are enjoying working with the partners, learning and developing a much more creative side to their teaching skills. This positive approach and motivation is evident through the whole school year, even in projects which do not directly involve partners. It is wonderful to see a happy and motivated staff. The development of the project involved dedication and commitment from all staff. It continues to demand these qualities as teachers strive to achieve the highest standards for themselves and their pupils. Motivation is at its highest as the positive effects of the project are so evident. Visitors often comment on the warm, rich and happy ethos of the school which is combined with very high standards of achievement. Nearly all of the partnerships have been highly successful and have been sustained, some on an annual basis, some more frequently. The very best partnerships are those where the partners have become more and more familiar with the children, teachers and school philosophy – which increases with continued visits. Many partners have commented on how their own practice and skills have also developed. Further Developments Ofsted were asked to inspect Creative Partnerships and Priory hosted an HMI for a day. Out to earn his money he certainly challenged us to think really deeply as he uncovered what is now known as 'The Second Layer.' This is a subtle strand that holds the curriculum together other than Works of Art. It focuses on the emotional aspects linked to the SEALs programme and PSHE. What was implicit has now been made explicit. Each painting has a focus concept, with related vocabulary, that is explored throughout the half term in all subject areas. What did Ofsted have to say? Visitors are always incredibly positive about what they see. Ofsted's last visit was in 2000 and I was desperate to see what they made of our radical changes. "The school works with over 50 creative partners to deliver the Creative Learning Curriculum. This innovative approach to teaching the foundation subjects is outstanding and helps pupils reach excellent standards in their work as well as making a significant contribution to their personal and social development. Pupils' engagement and enjoyment of their lessons, their excellent behaviour and attitudes to learning and the commitment and dedication of the teachers make this a very happy school. The curriculum is outstanding. The school has just cause to be proud of its innovative Creative Learning initiative which has a positive impact on learning and personal development throughout the school. Creative partners bring a wide range of skills which benefit all year groups. High quality individual booklets are an end product of the imaginative and vibrant teaching and learning that takes place. Stimulating displays create a superb learning environment." (Ofsted. January 2007) A school that never stands still We have now created 'whole children.' We have achieved a radical change in children's learning styles in conjunction with teaching methodology and raised the profile of the Foundation subjects. We have fostered creativity and inspiration in all children and adults, and built confidence and self esteem so that children are able to express their creativity and individuality. Excellence and enjoyment are a reality. Bridget Plowden would have been proud! Creative Partnerships comes to an end in 2008 in its current format. We will see the introduction of core schools that will be deemed 'Schools of Creativity.' Inspired by the fabulous line 'An effective curriculum would enable all pupils to feel that they are gifted and talented' (Education Bradford), I feel that we will open our wings again and not just fly. We will soar! |
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