Creativity in the Curriculum for Wales

by Tîm Dysgu Creadigol Cymru / Creative Learning Cymru Team on July 10

Collaboratively authored by Tîm Dysgu Creadigol Cymru / Creative Learning Cymru Team, this article shares how creativity is being woven into the Curriculum for Wales from the early years onwards.

The Educational Landscape of Wales

There are lots of brilliant things happening in Wales thanks to the Well-being of Future Generations Act which gives us the ambition, permission and legal obligation to improve our social, cultural, environmental and economic well-being. This has led to the publication of some game-changing independent reports which have influenced the educational direction of Wales for the last 11 years.

In 2013, Professor Dai Smith (then Chair of the Arts Council of Wales) published his review: Arts in Education in the Schools of Wales, containing 12 recommendations for Welsh Government. The Welsh Government accepted all 12 in full or in part, and pledged to develop a plan that would tackle the issues.

A further independent review of the curriculum for Wales: Successful Futures by Professor Graham Donaldson was published in 2015 and this drove the overhauling of the education system, leading to a new Cwricwlwm i Gymru, the Curriculum for Wales.

This has taken us on an exciting, challenging and still unfolding journey. The framework and guidelines behind Curriculum for Wales have been co-designed by teachers and learners to make education relevant and fit for the future by ensuring that activity springs from the Four Core Purposes for education in Wales, which set out to support:

  • ambitious, capable learners ready to learn throughout their lives;
  • enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work;
  • ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world;
  • healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.

However, it is not a one size fits all, mass produced document. By using the new framework and guidance, the curriculum itself is designed locally by the schools who teach it.

child playing with toy dinosaur

Lead Creative Schools Scheme

As part of Welsh Government’s plan to tackle issues identified by Professor Dai Smith, the Arts Council of Wales launched its flagship education programme in 2015, the Lead Creative Schools Scheme. To date, this has engaged well over half of the schools in Wales, and although initially designed to prepare schools in transition to the new Curriculum, it has continued beyond to support schools with curriculum design, to develop creative approaches to teaching and learning, to put learners at the heart of their work and to drive forward the national priorities in Literacy, Numeracy, Digital competence, Welsh Language and reducing the impact of deprivation on educational attainment. The Lead Creative Schools Scheme is about embedding change across Wales’ primary, secondary, specialist schools and pupil referral units as they develop, refine and embed their Curriculums and creative learning pedagogy.

What does it look like?

It is a two-step intervention that allows schools to develop practice by identifying an enquiry question that will drive a period of creative and authentic learning, in and out of classrooms with the support of Creative Professionals.  As a result, the scheme encourages school leaders to embed changes to pedagogy across their setting.

Being involved in the Lead Creative Schools Scheme has offered schools:

  • a programme of professional development for teachers over 2 years;
  • the support of Creative Professionals;
  • cross-Wales networking opportunities with other teachers and leaders;
  • authentic and inclusive learning opportunities that amplify learners’ voices;
  • the permission and support to take risks and develop a creative pedagogy through bespoke enquiries designed to explore creative approaches to teaching and learning.
boy running in nature

Photographer: Rachel Clement

What do we mean by creativity?

In the Arts Council of Wales’ Creative Learning team, we define creativity not as a skill bound solely within the arts, but as a habit of mind that can be nurtured in everyone. It is not simply about producing end products and it is not only about the arts. We believe creativity brings with it the ability to question, make connections, innovate, problem solve, communicate, collaborate and to reflect critically. This definition of creativity, along with our Creative Learning pedagogy (The Creative Habits of Mind and the High Functioning Classroom) come from the work of Guy Claxton, Bill Lucas and Ellen Spencer of the Centre for Real World Learning at Winchester University.

Why is creativity important?

In this fast-paced and increasingly uncertain world, we believe creativity is as important as ever. Despite the rapid emergence and applications of AI, it is what makes us human that will drive resilient and compassionate communities and encourage innovation to meet future challenge. It is our imaginations and innate curiosity that will keep us solving complex problems, organising ourselves, working collaboratively and intuitively to help us feel a sense of belonging regardless of our backgrounds, and so it is vital that this is recognised and nurtured throughout our education system.

Other areas of our work:

  • The Creative Leadership Programme draws on our experience of facilitating professional learning. The aim is to encourage confidence in new ways of working, innovating, reflecting, and developing resilience and an understanding of the role of creativity in the context of the Curriculum for Wales and the underpinning philosophy.
  • Cynefin: culturally and ethnically diverse Wales draws on the Lead Creative Schools Scheme and offers schools the opportunity to work collaboratively with diverse Creative Professionals to look at ways of exploring the history and development of Wales as a multicultural society and complements An Anti-Racist Wales – The Race Equality Action Plan for Wales from Welsh Government.

young child playing with stones

Creative Learning in the Early Years

This is a three year partnership initiative between two umbrella organisations: Early Years Wales and Mudiad Meithrin, the Arts Council of Wales and Welsh Government, and is supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation. By creating environments and experiences that are rich in language, play, physical development, engagement with the outdoors, arts, creativity and a sense of wonder and belonging, the initiative builds on the Lead Creative Schools Scheme, complements the curriculum for funded non-maintained nursery settings in Wales, and creates opportunities for artists and early years settings to co-construct projects and work with children aged 3-4 years old. It supports the natural creativity and curiosity of children and inspires Early Years Practitioners with new ideas and approaches to enable Creative Habits of Mind in their practice, across the curriculum, and throughout their setting.

David Goodger, Chief Executive of Early Years Wales was instrumental in getting the initiative off the ground. He recognised a need within the Early Years sector for the same kind of boost that schools enjoyed with similar creative learning programmes from the Arts Council of Wales. “Our practitioners are often left out of the educational conversation so I am especially pleased at the interest this work is gathering, our positive first evaluation report, and the inclusion of Mudiad Meithrin settings this year, just means that even more very young children can benefit from confident and valued practitioners.”

After the pilot year with 15 settings, Early Years Practitioners gave their feedback on the experience: “Sometimes we don’t have self-belief, but having an artist come in gives us power…it’s changed our whole outlook”.

There is appetite for more of this work across the early years sector.

What next for creativity and education in Wales?

We have solid foundations for education reform in Wales. After 9 years of building, we still have a way to go. However, Estyn (the inspectorate of schools in Wales) actively looks for evidence of creative learning, and elements of our creative learning pedagogy are in regular use in schools across Wales. The first 1000 days of a child’s life are a national priority. As with every turn of the political cycle, we must wait again as we welcome a new Minister for Education, and hope that the huge inroads education has made towards progressive and meaningful reform will continue to be prioritised.

Further reading:

Tîm Dysgu Creadigol Cymru / Creative Learning Cymru Team

Dysgu Creadigol Cymru / Creative Learning Cymru, Arts Council Wales

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