BLOG: Georgia Leavesley, Teacher, Merridale Primary School, Wolverhampton.
When I first joined the Classroom as Studio programme, I was drawn to its refreshing, outside the lines approach to developing children’s oracy, confidence and individuality through art. What struck me immediately was the programme’s commitment to giving children a safe, inclusive space to express themselves, while also nurturing and supporting teachers. From the beginning, it was clear that this experience was as much about empowering educators as inspiring pupils.
As a teacher, I wanted to deepen my practice by guiding children through artistic journeys that encouraged them to form their own unique perspectives of the world. I hoped to move beyond teaching techniques and create opportunities for thoughtful exploration, curiosity and authentic expression.
Working alongside my artist partner, Mark, has been both challenging and invaluable. Though we share a passion for art, our professional backgrounds are very different, naturally bringing contrasting ideas about how the process should unfold. Teachers often feel the need to stay neatly within the lines, but Mark has gently pushed me away from that mindset. His influence has encouraged me to let go, embrace fluidity and lean into creative unpredictability. Learning to trust the process has been a meaningful shift in my approach.
The learning cohort sessions have been another highlight. They are warm, welcoming and deeply reassuring spaces where teachers can openly share their trials, triumphs and questions. There is something grounding about being with colleagues who are navigating similar experiences. You can see the room relax as everyone settles into the shared purpose of lifting each other up and supporting the programme’s goals.
Trying new ideas in the classroom was initially daunting. Letting go of the instinctive “teacher control” built into our routines felt uncomfortable at first. But with Mark’s guidance and a school environment that has been wonderfully open to experimentation, I gradually allowed ideas to flow more freely. Giving children space to explore, attempt, fail, retry and truly make their work their own has been incredibly rewarding. This shift will undoubtedly influence how I plan and deliver art lessons for the rest of my career.
Reflecting on my learning so far, I feel proud of how my ideas have evolved. The programme has encouraged me to create more time for discussion, explore artists in greater depth and help children make richer, more personal connections to artworks. I’ve discovered just how many unique perspectives exist within a single classroom when space is created for them to emerge.
Our focus this year has been on giving children greater freedom, offering them exploratory learning experiences and time to deeply engage with materials and methods. My practice has become more open, more reflective and more child led.
I was surprised by how much the programme changed my own thinking and practice, not just the children’s. My biggest challenge was letting go of control and learning to embrace a more open, unpredictable creative process. I have enjoyed the supportive learning cohort sessions and working with others who are on the same journey.
Looking ahead, I hope to see our children expressing themselves with even greater confidence and independence by the end of the academic year. Moving into year two, I would love to see our whole school continue embracing this more exploratory, joyful approach to art.
About Georgia
Georgia Leavesley is a primary school teacher at Merridale Primary School, Wolverhampton.
