Lead Creative Schools is about embedding change across Wales’ primary, secondary, and special schools as they implement and embed Curriculum for Wales, focusing on creative learning pedagogy and curriculum design.
Our two-step intervention supports schools to develop their practice whilst exploring the Creative Habits of Mind and the High Functioning learning space in line with the four core purposes of Curriculum for Wales; developing ambitious, capable and confident learners, who are also enterprising, creative contributors prepared with skills for life. The scheme encourages school leaders to embed changes to pedagogy, across their setting, through the design of creative and authentic learning experiences, with the support of Creative Agents and Creative Practitioners.
Schools are assigned a Creative Agent who works with senior leaders and teachers to identify challenges within the school development plan that might benefit from a creative learning approach. Once trained in creative learning pedagogy, teachers work with their Creative Agent to devise an enquiry question to focus the learning.
Creative Practitioners are recruited to collaborate with teachers and class (or small group) of learners to devise and deliver engaging, authentic learning experiences that use the creative habits of mind and the high functioning classroom to nurture creativity and meet curriculum aims. Learning usually takes place over a half-term or term, occurs in and out of the classroom, responds to pupil voice and focuses on learning processes rather than an end product or artform. Creating time to reflect on the learning taking place allows all involved to determine how the learning may progress. Once the activity is complete, all participants evaluate the impact of the activity on the teachers, learners and creative practitioners. The outcomes of the activity is shared across the school so that other teachers can benefit from the learning, approach and practice.
This project has helped me be more imaginative and creative - if someone else has an idea and I have an idea we can put them together and improvise. It's pretty good - a different experience.
Teachers that participate in the Lead Creative Schools Scheme identify the following benefits from participating in the scheme:
- learners are more engaged and take ownership of their learning when participating in Lead Creative Schools Scheme projects. This can lead to increased parental engagement.
- collaborating with Creative Practitioners stimulates the creativity of teachers and supports them to develop their practice.
- the programme has helped teachers and senior leaders with their approach to curriculum design as they implement the Curriculum for Wales.
The hear from teachers section on this site will provide you with other benefits of adopting a creative learning approach.
Their independence is now filtering into the classroom through other areas of learning. The children are asking for help much less often and they are becoming their own problem-solvers.
Whilst it isn’t always possible to bring in the creative expertise of creative professionals, there are some actions that teachers can take to explore creative learning approaches. The teacher’s hub will give you some guidance on how to take the initial steps to develop creative learning activity in the classroom.
Inspired by this project? Applications for the Lead Creative Schools Scheme will be open in the Summer Term. Click here to sign up to the Creative learning bulletin.
