Professor Bill Lucas, Director of the Centre for Real-World Learning at the University of Winchester, shares five key steps for schools and practitioners seeking to embed creativity in teaching and learning.

It’s 20 years since the landmark National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education report All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education was published. The report offered a simple definition of creativity: “Imaginative activity fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are both original and of value.” Two decades on and we are much clearer about the cultural and pedagogical changes necessary for creativity to be embedded in schools, so much so that PISA has made creative thinking the subject of a new test in 2021.

Closer to home, Wales is launching a new curriculum that gives a central place to creativity and the new Ofsted framework comes into force this year. Not traditionally associated with creativity, Ofsted’s encouragement to schools to think more widely about curriculum and to document their intent, implementation and impact is an opportunity to rethink the role of creativity in schools.

In this context, here are five key steps to consider:

1. Understand what creativity is

You might like to start by familiarising yourself with our model of creativity and its five habits:

2. Review your classroom culture

Look at these 10 statements and ask yourself how much your classroom encourages these:

• Learning is almost always framed by engaging questions which have no one right answer.
• There is space for activities that are curious, authentic, extended in length, sometimes beyond school, collaborative and reflective.
• There is opportunity for play and experimentation.
• There is opportunity for generative thought, where ideas are greeted openly.
• There is opportunity for critical reflection in a supportive environment.
• There is respect for difference and the creativity of others.
• Creative processes are visible and valued.
• Students are actively engaged, as co-designers.
• A range of assessment practices are integrated within teaching.
• Space is left for the unexpected.

10 of 10? Go to the top of the class! 5 out of 10? Encouraging. Just 2 or 3 out of 10? You’re out of the starting blocks but have a way to go yet…

3. Use signature pedagogies to embed creativity

A signature pedagogy is a teaching method which is explicitly connected to the desired outcome of any lesson. So if you want curious students you might choose problem-based learning. If you want pupils to be critically reflective, then philosophy for children might be a helpful approach. Or if persistence was your goal, then any number of growth mindset type approaches such as changing learner talk from “can’t” to “can’t yet” might work. Other useful methods include the use of case studies, deep questioning, authentic tasks, a focus on the design process, enquiry-led teaching and deliberate practice.

4. Use split screen teaching to embed creativity in every subject 

Split screen teaching, pioneered by my colleague Guy Claxton, invites teachers to describe two worlds, the disciplinary subject matter of their lesson and the aspect of creativity on which they are also focusing. Let’s say you were introducing a science activity to understand the properties of acids and bases and then pupils were to prepare a short demonstration for other pupils, who would in turn offer feedback to their peers on the effectiveness of their explanations. Or in a history lesson, students might be looking at the causes of the First World War at the same time as they are exploring aspects of critical thinking such as the use of primary sources of evidence.

In the imaginary split screen of the lesson and its objectives a teacher would take care to explain to the class that both the chemistry (acids and bases) and the creative thinking (giving and receiving feedback) objectives were equally important. 

Split screen teaching reminds us of the importance of embedding creative habits in the context of a subject. For example: history + critical reflection; scientific enquiry + appropriate cooperation; writing an argument in English + challenging assumptions. 

5. Use thinking routines

The use of visible thinking routines, well-documented by Harvard University’s Project Zero, is an invaluable way of moving from knowledge to creative habits. A routine such as Think-Puzzle-Explore embeds inquisitiveness, while Think-Pair-Share-Think provides routine opportunities for challenging assumptions and giving and receiving feedback.

Later this year the Durham Commission will make recommendations for ways in which school leaders and teachers can be supported in England. Now is the time to get determined and creative about giving all children the chance to develop their creativity at school.

Professor Bill Lucas is director of the Centre for Real-World Learning at the University of Winchester and co-chair of the strategic advisory group for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)'s 2021 test of creative thinking. He is the author of many books on creativity and learning including, with Ellen Spencer, Teaching Creative Thinking: Developing learners who generate ideas and can think critically. He tweets at @LucasLearn

Schools that successfully develop and maintain a broad, challenging and opportunity-rich curricular and extracurricular offer recognise the benefits this brings for all learners – not just those designated “more able”. The examples of such successful schools reflect NACE’s own focus on provision for more able learners as part of a much broader context of challenge for all and whole-school improvement. The NACE Challenge Development Programme offers a framework and support to help schools review and improve more able provision, driving improvements in provision and outcomes for all.
 
In this context, and amidst lively national debate about the purpose and content of the curriculum – including questions raised by and impacting on proposed changes to the Ofsted inspection framework – this year’s NACE National Conference will explore the theme: “How to lead a curriculum of opportunity and challenge: provision for more able learners that supports high achievement for all”. The event will draw on NACE’s own research and work in this field, alongside examples of effective practice from NACE Leading Schools and insights from experts in pedagogy, curriculum, and school review and improvement. Ahead of the day’s discussions, we’ve picked out five key factors to consider – drawing on the work of educationalist and author Martin Robinson, who will deliver the conference’s opening keynote.

1. Get clear on the terminology  

Much of the terminology currently used in discussions about the curriculum is, when probed, somewhat vague. As Robinson points out, few would object to epithets such as “knowledge-rich” or the ubiquitous “broad and balanced” – but on further investigation such terms raise many more questions than they address, particularly when it comes to implementation on the ground. For discussions to progress meaningfully, clarity is important.

2. Involve everyone in curriculum design   

The curriculum needs to work for everyone in school – and that means staff as well as learners. Curriculum coherence – an overriding structure that can be perceived and understood by all, with each teacher and learner understanding their current position and next steps – will remain a pipe dream if not built on genuine opportunities for collaborative curriculum design, delivery and review. This collaborative approach should be extended not only to staff members, but also – as NACE trustee Liz Allen CBE argues – to learners.

3. Put pedagogy in the picture  

While no longer the buzzword du jour, pedagogy remains an essential concern and – as Robinson argues – should be considered at all stages of curriculum design. Sequencing (more on this below) is but one aspect of a repertoire of approaches which will lead to deep and sustained learning. Of these NACE frequently highlights:

• Content and related skills and concepts pitched at the right level of difficulty and complexity;
• Skilful and judicious explanation, modelling and feedback;
• Opportunities for deliberate practice;
• The development of metacognition and independence in learning;
• Tasks and activities designed to elicit higher-order and critical thinking processes;
• The management of differentiation which keeps all routes open for learners to achieve and progress.

Alongside these approaches, one of the biggest impacts on learner outcomes and engagement is what is often referred to as a positive and demanding classroom climate, coupled with teachers’ high expectations of all learners. 

4. Get the timing right 

Alongside the “what” and “how” of the curriculum, the “when” is also important. While “blocking” can seem the most efficient way to cover all the required content within the time available, Robinson makes the case for “spacing” – building in deliberate periods of delay in the coverage of a topic, to improve retention rates and curb last-minute cramming come exam time. This approach can be envisaged as a “spiral curriculum” – in which teaching and learning spiral back to revisit and build upon the “basic ideas” at the core of a subject, supporting overall coherence, joined-upness and progression.

5. Join the national debate 

This is an exciting time for school leaders and educators – not without its challenges, but also rich in opportunity. Amidst a growing body of research on what works for more able and for all learners, including the impact of pedagogical approaches such as “teaching to the top”, we’ve seen a renaissance of evidence-rich debates about curriculum development and delivery. At its best, the debate has gone beyond old dichotomies, producing fresh approaches and working towards secure foundations and principles on which to build a curriculum fit for today and for the future.

Join us at the NACE National Conference in London on 20 June to be part of the debate!

Lesley Hill, headteacher of NACE member Lavender Primary School in North London, shares her school’s approach to ensuring the curriculum remains broad, engaging and meaningful – alongside a successful focus on good outcomes for all learners.

“Lavender” School conjures images of a delightful school in a leafy suburb. It is a delightful school, but we have our challenges. The number of children with English as an additional language, and of those eligible for FSM, are both above national averages. We also have a high number of children with need. However, challenges are not just about closing gaps, and when it comes to curriculum one particular challenge is to hold on to what is important.
 
In the late 80s, I was an advocate of themes, of helping children see links in learning and maximising creativity. Although I understood the need for a national curriculum (to avoid children potentially repeating the same topic year after year!), I had serious concerns about a rigid, dictated and narrow curriculum that would merely feed standardised tests.
 
A few decades (and curriculum reviews) on, and I don’t believe that prescription has to stifle creativity, or that children have to learn within a narrow framework to get results.

Empowering learners to make choices… and mistakes

For some years, most of our subject teaching has been done through cross-curricular topics and we insist on at least one pupil choice topic per year. Classes or year groups vote on different themes and teachers ensure that the statutory knowledge and skills are covered within the topic. In KS2, we aim to include children in the planning process by asking them to consider how the required topic content could be taught.
 
Our use of pupil voice helps to engage and motivate our learners, but we also want them to have ownership over their learning. The introduction of growth mindset five years ago made a marked difference in terms of attitude, and was particularly empowering for those higher-achieving learners who find it so hard to “get something wrong”.

Developing skills for self-evaluation and reflection

Learning to learn strategies were also embedded and this culture enabled us to introduce fast, effective feedback a year ago. Teachers do not write in any books, but mark verbally during lessons, through 1:1 or group conferencing. Children peer- and self-assess and write reflections on their learning against success criteria. The self-evaluative process needs higher-order thinking, and allows learners at all levels to develop those skills.
 
Meta-cognition is promoted through peer work and is particularly successful for higher achievers when working with lower achieving or younger children (such as through our Reading Buddy scheme). Talk partners are therefore picked randomly to allow a range of peer-work experience. Group and paired feedback has been successful across the curriculum. I opened a sketch book recently and read, “I spoke with my partner and we thought that I should put more shading and detail on the petals.” Our “drafting and crafting” approach is used across the curriculum, enabling children to reflect on all learning, not just the core subjects.

Encouraging creativity at home

The fact that we value all subjects is visible in our homework policy. Learners have the usual spellings and number facts to learn, but also work on given topic themes. Because the titles are quite open (such as “Enfield Town”), children can access them and deepen their learning according to their own starting points. On home-learning day, you might see children carefully manoeuvring a model volcano, clutching a home-made booklet about local history or a USB stick with a slideshow about chocolate. They might just have a sheet of notes that have been prepared for a “lecture”. They share these projects at school, paying special attention to their presentation skills, which are then peer- and self-evaluated.

Extracurricular experiences and engagement

Visits and outings are built into our curriculum. We develop enterprise and aspiration through trips to businesses and institutions, such as Cambridge University, and by inviting in key people. We value working with others, getting involved with school cluster creative projects wherever possible. Last year, we were able to buy in a British Sign Language (BSL) teacher from a partner school to teach sign language to every class from nursery to Y6. We also encourage entries to events such as the annual Chess Tournament and Mayor’s Award for Writing, and are in the process of organising a spelling bee across our partner schools.
 
Home-school partnerships are important to us. Family days, where parents come in and work alongside their children, as well as exhibitions and information fairs, help us to share our wider curriculum. One event saw parents being led on a tour through the WWI trenches and, last year, families came in to learn the school song (written by the children themselves). We also work to build wider community links through events such as bulb planting with the local park group, or charity choir performances. Our School Council representatives are confident and vocal when considering local and wider issues and how we can support others.

What does it all mean?

Lavender's results are very pleasing across all key stages. Our GLD, phonics, KS1 and KS2 combined outcomes remain above national figures, with progress data of our higher-achieving children being better than national in all subjects.

OK, so Year 6 do have to do practice tests and more homework than most, but you'll still catch them sneaking into my office during a unit on mystery texts, going through my bin, and desperately trying to work out if I'm actually a spy. Despite budget pressures, I will continue to find the money for Herbie's insurance (our school dog's work with the most vulnerable children is priceless) and I’ll always value our subject leaders for the passion and drive they bring to our curriculum.

Data will always be top of my agenda, but it's there alongside breadth, depth and enrichment. A broad and balanced curriculum doesn't have to be at the expense of good outcomes for our children.
 
Lesley Hill is headteacher of Lavender Primary School, a popular two-form entry school in North London, part of the Ivy Learning Trust and a member of NACE. She has taught across the primary age range and has also worked in adult basic education and on teacher training programmes. Her current role includes the design and delivery of leadership training at middle and senior leader level, and she also provides workshops on a range of subjects, such as growth mindset and marking. Her book, Once Upon a Green Pen, which explores creating the right school culture, is due to be released early next year.

Keren Gunn, senior assistant principal for teaching school and staff development at Sir Christopher Hatton Academy, explores the challenges and opportunities of the new top GCSE grade.

Sir Christopher Hatton Academy is an outstanding (Ofsted 2015) mixed comprehensive, the lead sponsor in the Hatton Academies Trust, a teaching school and lead of the Hatton Teaching School Alliance. It achieved its second accreditation with the NACE Challenge Award in 2015, and is working towards its third. 

As we review and renew our practice for all learners, I have been reflecting on what the change to the new 9-1 GCSEs means. What will a grade 9 look like; what are the qualities of “grade 9-ness”? How will we teach it effectively, and will we recognise it when we see it? 

We know that according to Ofqual and the DfE, about 20% of the number of students achieving grade 7 or above will achieve a grade 9, and this means about 2.9% of students who would have got an A* would be getting a grade 9 this time round. 

Opportunities and challenges across the curriculum

We see the new grade 9 as a real opportunity, as well as a challenge. From speaking to middle leaders across the academy, the challenges and the opportunities sound remarkably similar across the subjects. The grade 9 system provides huge opportunities for stretching and challenging students, and could allow for real progression and mastery within the curriculum. There are significant opportunities to exploit creative links with business, industry and higher education, for example in food technology or computing and beyond. 

Examples of the innovation taking place include the use of authentic materials in MFL to ensure the language is of a sufficiently high register; adaptation of teaching methods and materials previously used at A-level; and a significant awareness of the need to explicitly teach higher-level thinking skills. The changes also offer an exciting opportunity to re-shape our Key Stage 3 curriculum to develop learners earlier on.

And the challenges? First, the lack of quality exemplar materials from exam boards to guide on the difference between a grade 8 and 9 – particularly significant in subjects like English where we have long been used to a subjective mark scheme, but equally so in mathematics and science, where there are new uncertainties in how questions are likely to be worded. There is also the challenge of delivering additional knowledge-based requirements, while ensuring the skills needed for sophisticated evaluation and analysis are fully developed. 

Developing “grade 9” qualities and skills 

The very quality of being a grade 9 learner is to be independent, enquiring, analytical, critical – and teachers need to be given the best tools, materials and CPD to ensure they can meet these students’ needs. 

One area I have been working on in my own English teaching is the enhancement of targeted academic writing skills, to develop the quality of expression and lexical choices required at grade 9, as well as building contextual and cultural capital as students explore texts. I’ve also used open investigative approaches to poetry, encouraging learners to explore both creative and analytical responses, as well as more formal analysis. After initial work on the Ted Hughes poem “Bayonet Charge”, one student’s response in a first-person piece of creative writing read:

“As the bullets rained down on us the mud caught my feet and held me there as I stumbled frantically. That tear in my eye was not of bravery or patriotism, but of shock and pain. How could our country do that to us? Why would it push us to pain and anguish? I couldn’t comprehend.”  

She had been given time to explore themes, concepts, attitudes and values, enabling her to form independent ideas about the poem, which she will then be able to translate into more formal academic analysis. 

In realising that the message is about challenge for all, we can maximise the opportunity presented by the new GCSEs and embrace the vision of excellence for all students.  

This blog post is based on an article first published in the summer 2017 edition of the NACE Insight newsletter, available for all NACE member schools. To view all past editions of Insight, log in as a member.