Derbyshire Creativity Strategy introduction
An introduction to Inspire Creativity, a Derbyshire strategy bringing together programmes, projects, events and professional development opportunities, with a focus upon developing practice in the areas of leadership, learning, partnership and enterprise.
Creativity is a process that inspires and maximises learning, making connections across the curriculum and between schools and the wider world.
It offers children and young people a means to see how the world could be different for themselves and society at large, to feel empowered to influence decision making, and to be confident and motivated to make things happen.
For this, young people need to develop creative skills and attributes. Many schools are already working hard to establish creative learning and teaching to help nurture and release pupils' creativity across a range of disciplines, increasing their ability to solve problems, think independently and work flexibly.
In October 2003 Ofsted published a report on 31 successful schools that "provide a curriculum which, while paying due regard to English and Mathematics, is broad, exciting and challenges pupils across the full range of national expectations".
We are committed to support schools to implement a range of creative programmes and partnerships so that children and young people can develop a broader cultural understanding, and progress and promote their own creative talents and skills.
The Derbyshire Children's Festival in 2004, for example, provided a showcase for schools using creative approaches to learning in literacy. Many school clusters have since worked together to deliver inspiring projects which have explored ways of broadening pupils' experience of literacy, and which have led teachers to a greater appreciation of its holistic importance and relevance to children and young people's lives.
The 2005 Derbyshire Headteachers' Conferences developed the theme further, focusing on the importance of creative approaches to learning across the curriculum and exploring ways to create a culture of aspiration and achievement for all.
Derbyshire schools already have a strong track record of collaboration and creative innovation, and in order to support and extend this work we have developed the 'Inspire Creativity' strategy.
The Inspire Creativity strategy is being developed alongside a national creative learning initiative, Creative Partnerships. This initiative is funded through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), working closely with the Department for children, schools and families (DCSF). Further information is available from the Creative Partnerships (opens in a new window) website.
We are working with Creative Partnerships BAM (Bolsover, Ashfield and Mansfield) and Creative Partnerships Derby on a range of creative learning projects in Derbyshire schools. This relationship will be further embedded through the Inspire Creativity strategy.
For more information on Inspire Creativity visit the artsderbyshire (opens in a new window) website.
At Glossopdale Community College in Derbyshire, a revolutionary approach to teaching is being implemented at Key Stage 3.
The pupils are using an integrated curriculum known as C3. Each half term one topic is selected, becoming a focus for the teaching of a whole range of subjects. One hour lessons have been abandoned and subject divisions torn up.
Teachers speak about how the integrated curriculum works, how they mastered a new way of working, and the rewards of this approach on Teachers TV (opens in a new window).
Creative Learning project - phase three
The following documents:
- Guidelines for expressions of interest by members of Derbyshire Arts Development Group
- Guidelines for expressions of interest by schools
Can be viewed or downloaded from the more information section on this page.
Related documents
The following documents are in Portable Document Format (PDF). You can download software to view PDF documents for free from the Adobe website (opens in a new window)
- Inspire Creativity Policy - complete document (209KB)
-
Inspire Creativity Prism (1324KB)
Please note: Due to the large file size of this document it may take a few moments to download on a 56k modem connection. - Guidelines for expressions of interest from schools (58KB)
- Guidelines for expressions of interest for DADG (57KB)