Interest in evidence-based practice in the teaching profession has continued to grow over the last few years. This selected reading and resource list, initially published in 2019, has been fully refreshed and updated with the latest resources in May 2022. Evidence-based practice is not about blindly following ‘evidence’; it is all about bringing together academic […]
In 2016, I was teaching in an international school in Paris. We had more than 60 nationalities and a high turnover, with students usually only staying for two or three years on average. The effect of home and geographical cultures, as well as the ‘third culture kid’ phenomenon experienced by students, cannot be underestimated. My […]
To neglect the contribution of the arts in education, either through inadequate time, resources or poorly trained teachers, is to deny children access to one of the most stunning aspects of their culture and one of the most potent means for developing their minds. Eisner,1987 Introduction Thanks to the new direction of Ofsted inspection, which […]
DIALLS (DIalogue and Argumentation for cultural Literacy Learning in Schools) is a three-year research project involving nine countries in and around Europe. In DIALLS, cultural literacy is reconceptualised as a dialogic social practice underpinned by tolerant, inclusive and empathetic interaction with others, moving beyond previous narrow understandings of it as knowledge about culture. In the […]
Research focus: Possibility thinking and the arts The arts are often underestimated in the curriculum, despite evidence indicating that they are central to the development of ‘little c’ creativity (Craft, 2001) and therefore should be included in the curriculum (Shaheen, 2010). ‘Little c’ creativity is characterised by an active engagement with everyday problems, where students […]
We believe that great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Arts Council England website Literacy training needs to be a focus for all schools because a solid foundation in reading and writing can provide a springboard for […]
In 2017, the Cultural Learning Alliance published an updated version of their ‘Key research findings’, which explores large-scale research into the impact of arts and cultural education. The report cites research conducted that demonstrates the staggering impact that the arts can have, stating that ‘children from low income families who take part in arts activities […]
The phrase ‘cultural capital’ is everywhere. In 2013, the then Education Secretary Michael Gove famously quoted Gramsci, saying The accumulation of cultural capital – the acquisition of knowledge – is the key to social mobility. Gove went on to say, you will find children learning to read using traditional phonic methods, times tables and poetry […]
Tower Hamlets did not have a single student entered for A-level music in 2017–18 (Whittaker et al., 2019). It’s shocking statistics like this that reassure us that we are taking the correct journey with our primary curriculum; the decline in the arts as an academic progression route within our borough is something we need to […]
The Plymouth Oracy Project was designed to develop theoretical and pedagogical understanding of dialogic talk for learning amongst school staff, with a particular focus on improving the oracy development and educational outcomes of pupils falling into the ‘disadvantaged’ category. This article reports on the impact of the Plymouth Oracy Project, rather than the methods applied […]
Whilst there is clear intention that children should have opportunities for practical experience, this seems to be limited to performance skills, rather than composing skills. Whilst performing is an important aspect of music education, it is just one parameter of what I would argue should be a much more all-embracing framework. I want to consider […]
What happens when writers and teachers work together in the writing classroom? And what happens when teachers are given opportunities to be writers through workshops led by professional writers? These practices are often encouraged by arts organisations such as the Arts Council, and by subject associations such as the United Kingdom Literacy Association. But there […]
Some years ago now, my primary school dance club chose Sylvia Plath’s poem ‘Mushrooms’ (1962) to perform in a Medway town arts festival at Chatham dockyard. We read and discussed the text, improvised our interpretation of mushrooms ‘overnight, very whitely, discreetly’ and of girls (and boys) taking ‘hold on the loam’ to ‘acquire the air’. […]
Cross-curricular learning can be a fantastic tool for capturing students’ attention and inspiring them to learn and make connections across subjects. However, with a subject like music, which relies on the progressive development of skills (rather than the amassing of non-linear knowledge), a topic-based approach can be problematic. As Mills (2005) noted ‘It is difficult […]
Can more arts and creativity in primary schools improve children’s writing? Our research to address this question began at a time when primary schools were facing continuous pressure to raise writing standards and, simultaneously, struggling to maintain a broad and creative curriculum. Integrating arts with writing… Our strategy to integrate arts with writing coincided with […]
It is 20 years since the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education (NACCCE, 1999) offered a simple if daunting definition of creativity: Imaginative activity fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are both original and of value. NACCCE also made a landmark recommendation about the need for a national strategy to embed creativity […]
As the focus of Ofsted moves to a broad and balanced curriculum and ensuring that cultural capital is developed alongside knowledge, the inclusion of the performing arts should be at the forefront of any debate around which subjects should be taught at school. There is a strong argument for teaching ‘art for art’s sake’ to […]
High-quality arts provision has the potential to build self-belief and confidence in young people (Royal Shakespeare Company, Tate and University of Nottingham, 2018). This article discusses findings from the ‘Young Arts Advocates Special School (YAASS)’ programme, which aimed to build experiences and self-confidence for students with special educational needs, through schools and artists engaging in […]
In the 60 years since CP Snow’s Rede Lecture of 1959, there has been a considerable narrowing in the cultural divide between science and the humanities, and only the most entrenched observer would continue to insist that the gulf he described between the ‘two cultures’ still exists. Much of this entente has come from a […]
Up-skilling teachers in ‘drama for learning’ It is worth all teachers knowing some drama strategies and conventions and how to use them effectively. There are many drama strategies that can be used effectively by teachers of any subject, yet most teachers know few. With some ‘drama for learning’ CPD, teachers can learn many strategies and […]
