THE QCA CREATIVITY PROJECT Background Following the recent

THE QCA CREATIVITY PROJECT

Background Following the recent review of the National Curriculum, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) was asked by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment to investigate creativity and the arts as a way of ensuring curriculum development in schools.

This work, which has also been strongly supported by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, is being taken forward by QCA through two separate but related projects. Both projects will last for at least three years. They are: §creativity across the curriculum, in which D&T is a key subject • the arts in the curriculum

Both projects will draw on government initiatives including All our futures, the report of the National Advisory Committee for Creative and Cultural Education, current work on creativity by DEMOS, the NFER/RSA research into the arts and other related research.

The two projects share the same initial approach and are directly linked through this investigation into creativity across the curriculum. In the future the creativity across the curriculum project will involve additional subjects / domains.

Purpose The purpose of this investigation is to develop a better understanding of the nature of pupils’ creativity. In order to do this QCA has devised a framework for investigating creativity to be used by participating schools in identifying examples of pupils’ creativity.

Scope Pilot schools have taken part in the first phase of the creativity across the curriculum project. The first phase focused on pupils’ creativity across key stages 1, 2, 3 and 4 in English, maths, design & technology, art & design, music, dance, and drama.

School’s Contribution • Schools involved in this project were asked to: § Collect examples of pupils’ creativity § Write a brief report on their investigation • This work involved three meetings at QCA.

• All schools involved met with QCA staff / consultants to discuss guidelines and the framework for investigating creativity. This was to ensure that there was a common understanding of how: § the framework for investigating creativity would be used § the examples of pupils’ creativity would be selected and recorded

Outcomes At the end of this phase of the project we have evaluated the framework for investigating creativity and developed the beginnings of a database of examples that exemplify this framework.

Framework outcomes Did pupils: • Complete the given task in an unexpected way? • Change, adapt and complete the task in a new way? • Define and complete their own task? • Produce something which was original in some way? • Produce something which was of value in some way?

Pupil strategies Did pupils: • Problem-find? • Problem-solve? • Generate ideas? • Pose hypotheses? • Evaluate and select appropriate ideas to take forward? • Demonstrate curiosity?

Did pupils: • Use their imagination? • Use convergent and divergent thinking? • Make connections between related and seemingly unrelated areas? • Challenge conventions? • Look for alternatives and experiment with different possibilities? • Look ahead?

Did pupils: • Explore unknown outcomes? • Take risks? • Learn from mistakes? • Sustain their concentration? • Work independently and in groups? • Share and develop ideas with others?

Teaching strategies Did you, as the teacher: • Capitalise on pupils’ interests, making the work relevant? • Encourage pupils to ask questions and reflect critically? • Prompt pupils to think about the connections between their experiences? • Maintain the pupils’ autonomy and identity and help them gain ownership of their work? • Provide a range of contexts and creative tasks in which pupils could apply knowledge and skills? • Match high expectations with the security to take calculated risks?

Learning Environment Does it: • Develop trust? • Allow and encourage independence? • Enable collaborative as well as independent learning? • Achieve a balance between developing skills knowledge and understanding and providing a stimulating challenge? • Stimulate engagement with the subject matter?

Does it: • Provide space for individual work before ideas are shared? • Expect interaction between pupils and various learning sources? • Provide opportunities for pupils to appreciate and enjoy the challenge of change? • Stimulate imagination? • Provide freedom within boundaries? • Place an emphasis on first-hand experiences? • Offer learning activities which pupils see as relevant?