Creative Partnerships Enquiry -
How can we develop pupils' higher order thinking skills using creative approaches to teaching and learning?
Headteacher: Mrs Joyce Johnson
CP Creative Agent: Dan Roy
CP Region: Southampton, Portsmouth & Hampshire at the University of Portsmouth
Creative Practitioner: Mike Fleetham
Package: 6 days bespoke training, coaching and strategic consultation
I took this work in 2010 as a Creative Practitioner for Creative Partnerships.
Hurstbourne Tarrant is a small rural school near Andover. Experienced and dynamic staff lead the learning of a very cosmopolitan bunch of learners. HT Joyce Johnson had already established an integrated curriculum. I got involved at the embedding stage.
Learning values underpin all curriculum areas: Thinking, Emotional Intelligence, Independence, Creativity, Collaboration, Spirituality. Subjects are learned through themes and infused with these values.
If staff room walls define a school then this is my sort of school.
I adapted my Premium Impact Package to Hurstbourne's needs: a closure training session, non-closure demo. lessons and 4x4 coaching. This resulted in a genuinely unique solution co-created with the staff and children - no shelves in sight off which to take things!
Teachers explored their concerns, questions and ideas around creative teaching and learning and began to co-design my input for the rest of the project.
I worked directly with every teacher in their classrooms, demonstrating creative ideas, letting them observe and then decide for themselves what they'd like to try.
I believe it's essential to teach all or a selection of pupils while helping the school grow. How can I really understand the school, how can I really get under its skin if I haven't learned with the students?
Would you judge a car without driving it; a horse without riding or a meal without tasting?
Impact
Dan Roy spent a day evaluating the project and discovered many unexpected positive outcomes around different techniques for more effective, independent learning. Here's a Wordle of his findings:
Ofsted was impressed too - with the outstanding use of partnerships and resulting classroom practice. Here's a Wordle of final report comments about the project and its impact:
Next Steps
A second project is running into 2011. The focus has evolved into 4 areas:
- Using ICT for creative teaching and learning
- Children driving creativity forward in the school - The Creativity Council
- 4x4 coaching model
- Creative teaching and learning toolbox
School Website
Creative Partnerships Website