Stimulating Creativity

Earlsdon Primary School: ‘Creative learning at the heart of our skills-based curriculum’

  • Date:
    2008 - 2010
  • Introduction:
  • Article:

     Our Achievement

    • 77% of teachers participating in the programme said their inolvement has increased their enthusiasm for the job.
    • 92% said it has made a positive difference to their attitude to learning new skills and 85% said it has changed their organisation and practice within the classroom.

    Curriculum construction continues to be reviewed and all teachers are beginning to understand more clearly curriculum development objectives and how creative skill development can be included.

    • 100% of teachers are now planning in this way, as opposed to 20% in 2007/8 and 50% in 2008/9.
    • 60% of children felt their teacher had developed a better sense of humour and was laughing more.
    • 60% of children said they felt the project work enabled them to make important choices as to how they learned.  They all said they felt they had been listened to. 
    • This project gave the children confidence in their own ability; compared to a norm of 75%, 100% of those questioned judged their work for themselves without needing adult approval. 
    • 20% of children said they would normally continue to work/research at home, but this figure rose to 90% during the project work.
    • 80% of children said concentration was much easier during creative project work.

     

    The Feedback

    "The work has had an impact on my teaching as a whole...not just one aspect of it."

    "Creativity is part of the ethos of our school, but we must continue to explore and develop."

    "When you're not enjoying yourself you doodle and don't think about stuff.  But you remember it when you have fun."

    "It gave us confidence to have and express our own opinions."

    "We hated division.  But we baked a cake and laid a table for a Queen and did it all with fractions.  Division became fun."

    "Geography became fun.  Instead of just learning about a place we created a time travelling play and went to different countries at Christmas."

    "We made graphs with our own bodies and angles with a sling shot.  I found myself looking for different angles all around the house, without realising I was doing it."

    The Cre8us effect...at Earlsdon Primary School:

    'Learning Voyage'

     

    Physical Theatre Group, 'Highly Sprung', worked with classes and teachers from across the school to develop teachers' active engagement skills within and across core as well as foundation subjects.

    Each class and teacher selected a different subject based on their own requirements, be it Maths, English, etc and then, working with 'Highly Sprung' created a performance with the subject at the heart.  Years 2 and 6 focused on Maths, Year 4 across the curriculum and Year 5 concentrated on Science.

    The school has also built on the potential of the Creative Council, which comprises 12 students from all age groups.  The inclusion of pupils' views and contributions to planning is in its infancy, but there is plenty of potential and the Council is providing a platform for the children.  The members of the Council are becoming touchstones for learning throughout the school, continuing to disseminate information to teachers and governors, develop ideas around preferred learning styldes, contribute to planning and collect evidence of progress. 

    Creative Agent: Lesley Whelan

    Creative Practitioner: Highly Sprung Performance Company

    School: Earlsdon Primary School, Coventry

    If you are interested in this programme and would like to find out more, please visit the Creative Partnerships' Project Database where you will be able to view Earlsdon's Project Planning Form for their 2009-10 programme.

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