The focus for the Collaborative at the start of the three year pilot was to test approaches to embedding teaching for creativity in all subjects in the curriculum including Maths, Science, Technology and English alongside arts-based subjects.
The Collaborative developed as a network of primary, secondary and special educational needs and disabilities schools across local authorities in the north east of England. As a collaborative we wanted to explore how, by harnessing the core skills in all subjects, we could better support the development and employability of our students. In short, develop their skills beyond the traditional assessment model.
Our collaborative included a partnership with Creativity, Culture and Education known as the (CCE), an international foundation based in the north east working with a range of partners to explore creativity and creative thinking. This partnership brought a long history of providing professional learning for teachers at scale, for example in Wales and Ireland. Our interest in being part of the Creativity programme stemmed from the Durham Commission’s challenge to identify and embed the transferable creative skills found in all subjects; particularly and explicitly studied within the arts. Our hope was that such creativity can be harnessed to support engagement and attainment in all curriculum areas.
Communicating a model of creativity as five learning habits
Early on we decided to take the five-dimensional model developed by Bill Lucas and colleagues at the University of Winchester and develop it as a way of communicating to teachers, pupils, parents and partners across the collaborative. To help us in this we redesigned the model as if it were a football and chosen a graphic icon for each habit. These were prominently displayed in classrooms and the icons can be used to create stickers to help pupils (and their parents) recognise aspects of their creativity as they were developed.
Below is our version of the Creative Habits of Mind model
Get in touch with the North East Creativity Collaboratives Network (NECCN) using the details below:
Twitter: @NECCNetwork
Email: creativity.collaborativesNE@cceengland.org