Creativity in the Classroom: Art CPD for Schools

In 2024 we launched our CPD programme, Creativity in the Classroom – Arts CPD for Schools. This was motivated by one of our core values – the belief that every child should access and experience a rich and ambitious arts education throughout their time at school. We are inspired by the rallying cry of artist Bob and Roberta Smith that ‘Art Makes Children Powerful’ and the growing body of research evidence. The ‘Researching Arts in the Primary School’ (1) project showed how 40 arts rich primary schools in England make the expressive arts integral to their broad and balanced curriculum and central to their identity and success. The lead researcher Professor Pat Thomson (2) argues that arts participation can teach children to:

• Work, alone and together with others.
• Investigate, develop, interpret and communicate their ideas and understanding.
• Learn about the world and the diverse peoples who call the UK their home through a wide range of genres, media and platforms.
• Develop self-belief, voice and agency, self-discipline, belonging, wellbeing and creative development.

We see from our work with primary schools over the past 10 years, that these benefits can only be achieved IF there is high quality teaching and learning in art. Our experience is that this is patchy in schools and that expertise is not evenly shared. The Art Now report for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Art, Craft and Design in Education (3) found that the primary workforce (teachers and teaching assistants) need significant professional development to reach the ambitions of the Art National Curriculum.

Our contribution to addressing this gap is through this CPD programme where we aim to inspire, encourage and upskill school staff. Our approach to leading Art CPD reflects the way artists work – active, hands on, practical and focusing on exploring techniques and materials. An essential aspect of our programme is relating what we teach to the work of artists and widening the knowledge of a diversity of artists so that children can see themselves represented in the curriculum. We also focus on building subject knowledge and considering teaching points such as how to sequence and adapt activities for different learners.

Participants of our CPD tell us how much they enjoy being with colleagues of a like mind and how powerful this camaraderie and professional exchange is to their learning. We want everyone to go away with a secure plan of what they will do next with their new ideas and skills and be ready to use them in the classroom.

Our programme offers a progression route and something for all levels of confidence and experience. The Essentials series workshops are for teachers, art leads and education professionals and especially those wanting to secure their foundational practice in teaching drawing, painting and sculpture. The Progression Series is for those wanting to expand their teaching into textiles, and to improve and deepen the impact of sketchbook practice, developing their whole school art curriculum. The workshops in the Guest Arts Educator Series are designed, devised and led by leading national arts educators for primary school teachers, primary art leads and professionals working in schools. These sessions will immerse you in practical, fun, hands-on activity that can be taken straight back to the classroom.

We are delighted to offer two workshops designed and led by art educator Daryll Wakelam who is an expert in his practice of 3D cardboard construction with extensive experience of working in primary schools across the UK.