Creative Curriculum
We had a fantastic INSET on Friday on the Creative Curriculum. The INSET was led by Bruce Potts a freelance education consultant, trainer and author. The day started by looking at what a Creative Curriculum is, before looking at how it can be implemented with in the school curriculum. The afternoon was the most productive part for us. Working as a school we have decided to use a skills based continuum, based on the Early Learning Goals:
- Knowledge and Understanding of the World
- Creative Development
- Physical Development
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication, Language and Literacy
- Mathematical Development
An example of this is available at the Bexley website, the LA that pioneered it through a grant. The website is inspirational, with examples of planning, assessment and examples from schools that were in the pilot study. You now need to purchase these materials which is a real shame! However the site is still worth a visit if you are thinking about taking your school forward.
Hi! Read with interest your posting re. Creative Curriculum. I have had a look at the Bexley site and agree with you - it is inspirational. We are probably about a year away from being able to implement anything like this in my school. I would be really interested to hear a blow by blow account of your experiences in implementing this in your school.
Posted by: Julie Lilly | Sunday, July 02, 2006 at 21:48
Thanks Julie, I'll try to keep you up to date with what's happening and how it's going! Also be able to let you know what the HMI think when we have our next visit!
Andrew
Posted by: RossA | Monday, July 03, 2006 at 17:24
Have you updated this
Posted by: bluerose | Sunday, February 25, 2007 at 18:21
Not yet - I'll write something up as soon as I get a chance. Thanks for reminding me.
Andrew
Posted by: Andrew Ross | Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at 17:01
I am in the process of integrating a skills based curriculukm in to or school. At the moment we are working cmpletely topic based, using interesting and novel topics such as Pirates, circus, space, etc. I am looking for schools that also work in this method to help us analyse good practice and the effects over a longer period of time. Do you know of any UK schools that teach using a broad topic in all of the Primary age phase?
tara crooks
Posted by: Tara Crooks | Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 12:14
Hows it going with your creative curriculum planning Rossa?
there is a new Yahoo group set up to discuss this if you go onto primar section of TES http://www.tes.co.uk/section/staffroom/thread.aspx?story_id=2365518&path=/primary/&threadPage=1 you can join up. I will be posting a link on it to this site too.
Andrew how far have you got?
Posted by: bluerose | Wednesday, April 11, 2007 at 09:03
Hi Bluerose,
I'm currently in the process of writing a report for the Governors of how the creative curriculum has gone this year. When it's done I'll put a summary of it up here.
Andrew
Posted by: Andrew Ross | Friday, April 27, 2007 at 23:03
Would love to have a look at your report on the creative curriculum. Really want ot introduce it (based around Bexley) to start in September. Would love to know about the process you took. Do you think that we can do it?
Posted by: Andyknox1 | Sunday, May 13, 2007 at 17:47
We are implementing a skills curriculum with a view to personalising the curriculum. We have started this with years 2,4 and 6, where learning is skills and theme based. I have taken this further, in y6 children have taken ownership of some of the timetable to personallise their curriculum (post SATs I am hoping to be able to collapse the timetable completly to allow more of this)They have decided what how and under which theme they will work. I have noticed children have become more aware of their learning, more motivated to learn and have a greater understanding of what they need to work on. I would be keen to hear from anyone else who has been able to try this approach.
Posted by: emma | Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at 20:30
Hi Emma,
I did something similar to this early in the Year with my Mexico project. You can read more about it here:
http://www.primary-teacher-uk.co.uk/2007/02/children_to_man.html
Andrew
Posted by: Andrew Ross | Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at 19:59
Thanks Andrew, This is the way we work for about 50% of our time, working from skills.Once I get to grips with adding resources (and find time!) i'll post some!!
Posted by: emma | Thursday, May 17, 2007 at 08:00
Hey Andrew,
Did you ever finish that report about the creative curriculum? would love to have a look!
Andrew
Posted by: Andrew Knox | Tuesday, June 05, 2007 at 20:03
Yes - I've put it up. Have a look at the trackbacks above!
Posted by: Andrew Ross | Friday, June 15, 2007 at 18:03
We're developing the Creative Curriculum next year with a new TLR post. As we're an ISP school (Intensive Support) the onus is on making Literacy, Numeracy and ICT cross-curricular/thematic links.
Is there anyone who has developed their own planning formats that are simple and not laborious?
Posted by: Sara | Wednesday, June 27, 2007 at 00:52
hi. I was wondering what to read to gain more info on skills based curriculum. We have not started it at our school yet, but I know its on its way!
Posted by: helen Q | Wednesday, July 30, 2008 at 18:32
Have a look at the information here, or search for Creative curriculum. I'm afriad I'm at a different school now, although I know it has gone down very well with all at my previous schools bar the odd tweaks here and there...
Posted by: Andrew Ross | Thursday, July 31, 2008 at 19:24
Have a look at www.thecreativelearningjourney.co.uk
it has got all the info and a complete insight into a creative curriculum
Posted by: Des | Tuesday, September 16, 2008 at 13:26