Creativity Today

The National Advisory Comitte on Creative and Cultural Education published a report called `All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education` in May 1999. According to this report; education faces challenges that are without precedent. Meeting these challenges calls for new priorities in education, including a much stronger emphasis on creative, cultural education and a new balance in teaching and in the curriculum.

According to the National Advisory Comitte on Creative and Cultural Education`s (NACCCE) report; the biggest misconception about creativity is being only associated with foundation subjects such as art or drama. Or they think creativity is about having gifted skills. It is suggested in NACCCE`s report that creativity is possible in all areas of human activity and all young people and adults have creative capacities.

According to the Rose Report;

Our primary schools also show that high standards are best secured when essential knowledge and skills are learned both through direct, high-quality subject teaching and also through this content being applied and used in cross-curricular studies. Primary schools have long organised and thought much of the curriculum as a blend of discrete subjects and cross-curricular studies in this way. Subject disciplines remain vital in their own right, and cross-curricular studies strengthen the learning of the subjects which make up its content. From the standpoint of young learners, making links between subjects enriches and enlivens them, especially history and geography

The National Curriculum Handbook (QCA,
1999) states:

“The curriculum should enable pupils to think creatively and critically, to solve problems and make a difference for the better. it should give them the opportunity to become creative, innovative, enterprising and capable of leadership to equip them for their future lives as workers and citizens.”

Ofsted’s Section 10 inspections also recognise the importance of schools promoting creativity, as well as supporting the aims and principles described in Excellence and Enjoyment. The following extracts from the Handbook for Inspecting Nursery and Primary Schools, (Ofsted 2003), confirm this:

•Effective teaching extends pupils intellectually, creatively and physically.

•Look for… practical work, investigations and problem-solving exercises that develop pupils’ skills, creativity and understanding.

•Where a school is very good at enriching the curriculum, it provides a rich and varied programme of experiences for all pupils. They respond positively and achieve very well. Visits by a wide range of
enthusiasts or experts are well established and beneficial.

•Give credit for imaginative lessons and learning that is vivid, real and relevant.

•Assessment that enables pupils to play a very strong part in making and recognising improvement in their work is likely to be excellent.

The findings in the Ofsted report confirm that:

•thinking and behaving creatively bring vitality to learning, providing the motivation to tackle bigger challenges and, when effective, increasing pupils’ confidence and self-esteem

•where creativity has an important place in the curriculum, pupils generally have very positive attitudes towards learning and enjoy coming to school

All schools should:

•from the Early Years Foundation Stage onwards, ensure that pupils are actively encouraged to ask questions, hypothesise and share their ideas, and that these skills extend into their writing

•in curriculum planning, balance opportunities for creative ways of learning with secure coverage of National Curriculum subjects and skills

•provide continuing professional development to ensure that teachers and support staff have the knowledge, skills and confidence to encourage pupils to be independent and creative learners, and to monitor and assess the effectiveness with which they develop these capabilities

•ensure that all pupils develop skills in technology to support independent and creative learning

•support and sustain partnerships that have the potential to develop pupils of all abilities as confident and creative learners.

“Today’s essential life and work skills include innovation, creative thinking, complex problem-solving, imagining what the future holds and, above all, the ability to cope with choice, uncertainty and the unknown.”
Creative Partnerships in Education (CAPE) UK, 2004
(NCLS,2010)


Note:The picture is from this source.