This article has been published as part of the Rethinking Curriculum project, kindly funded by The Helen Hamlyn Trust.
What is creativity?
Defining ‘creativity’ continues to be a complex and contentious task. Joubert (2001, p. 29) characterised creativity as ‘a very elusive concept… and even when defined, it is interpreted in a variety of different ways’. Despite the lack of a universally accepted definition, there is a growing consensus that creativity has two core elements – originality and effectiveness (Lucas, 2021). This reflects the more commonly used definition provided by Sternberg and Lubart (1999, p. 3) who describe creativity ‘as the ability to produce work that is both novel (i.e. original, unexpected) and appropriate (i.e. useful)’. In other words, creating new things that will be of use or value in a given context. This definition has been adopted and further simplified by notable bodies, including the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (2019; 2023), suggesting its increasing acceptance in the field.
Prevalent myths may have also hindered the development of a universally accepted definition. Until the 1990s, creativity was often equated with genius, reserved for a select few who were experts in their field – now commonly referred to as ‘big-C’ creativity. Craft (2001) shifted this thinking by championing ‘little-c’ creativity. Craft argued that all humans have the capacity to harness and develop creativity. Whether it’s a painting technique, a scientific experiment or reading a poem, it is understood that people can be creative by simply engaging with new experiences, even if others have tried it before (Newton, 2012). Lucas (2021) argues that it is this ‘little-c’ creativity, inherent in all people, that schools should focus on cultivating.
References
Craft A (2001) Little creativity. In: Craft A, Jeffrey B and Leibling M (eds.) Creativity in Education. London: Continuum, pp. 45–61.
Joubert M (2001) The art of creative teaching: NACCCE and beyond. In: Craft A, Jeffrey B, and Leibling M (Eds) Creativity in education. London: Continuum, pp. 17–34.
Lucas B (2021) Schools as testbeds for our vital creativity. Chartered College of Teaching. Available at: https://my.chartered.college/research-hub/schools-as-testbeds-for-our-vital-creativity/ (accessed 9 September 2025).
Newton L (2012) Creativity for a new Curriculum. London: RoutledgeOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2019). Fostering Students’ Creativity and Critical Thinking: What it Means in School. Paris: OECD Publishing. Available at: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2019/10/fostering-students-creativity-and-critical-thinking_3ffa73e4/62212c37-en.pdf (accessed 9 September 2025).
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2023) Thinking Outside the Box: The PISAThe Programme for International Student Assessment, a worldwide study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), intended to evaluate educational systems by measuring 15-year-old school students’ knowledge and skills 2022 Creative Thinking Assessment. Paris: OECD Publishing. Available at: https://issuu.com/oecd.publishing/docs/thinking-outside-the-box (accessed 9 September 2025).
Sternberg R and Lubart T (1999) The concept of creativity: Prospects and paradigms. In: Sternberg R (ed.) Handbook of Creativity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 3–15.
Tools and resources
As part of the Rethinking Curriculum project, we have created a number of bespoke resources to develop your understanding of creative teaching approaches and teaching for pupil creativity. These resources are designed to explore the research evidence underpinning this approach, understand what this could look like in practice and make informed decisions about whether this might be appropriate for your school and students.
We encourage you to engage with the following:
Read our research review
This review summarises research evidence on fostering creativity in the classroom, with a particular focus on its impact and implications for primary school practice.
Read these case studies
Tina Farr, Headteacher at St Ebbe’s Primary School, shares her school’s journey in re-designing the curriculum to unleash creativity for staff and learners.
Kari Anson, Headteacher at Brays School, shares her school’s journey of implementing a thematic curriculum in a specialist setting, enhanced by a multi-sensory drama studio known as ‘The Creative Space’.
Olivia Anthony, Governance Officer at Embark Federation, shares her trust’s journey of embedding a curriculum underpinned by fostering pupil creativity. She also reflects on the impact of this work so far, including increased pupil confidence, engagement and attainment, as well as strengthened community connections.
Dr Emma Webster, Assistant Head of School at Prendergast Primary School, shares her school’s approach in supporting teachers to deliver a curriculum for creativity, resulting in a cultural shift that strengthened creative teaching practice, pupil engagement and cross-curricular learning.
Debi Keyte-Hartland, Pedagogical Consultant, shares her experience of working with Woodlands Primary School and Nursery to develop an enquiry-based, arts-rich curriculum that fosters creative thinking in the EYFS.
Paul Thomas, Headteacher at Parkwood Primary School, and Raquel Tola-Rego, Specialist Teacher at Parkwood Primary School, share their journey of embedding creativity through Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL).
Jane Fearnley OBE, CEO of Willow Tree Academy, shares her experience of scaling a creative curriculum across a multi-academy trustAbbreviated to MAT, a group of schools working in collaboration, governed by a single set of members and directors.
These case studies could be used to understand the process further but are not intended to be replicated as we strongly believe that all schools should be delivering for their community and circumstance.
Watch these webinars
This webinar shares five years of research and creative practice across nine Doncaster and eight Bradford primary schools, embedding story, drama and inquiry-based learning within the humanities curriculum to improve Year 3 pupils’ social-emotional wellbeing, oracy and conflict resolution. It also explores the impact of these co-designed, imaginative curricula on both teachers and learners.
In this webinar, Professor Bill Lucas, Director of the Centre for Real-World Learning at the University of Winchester, explores why creativity matters in education, how teachers can explicitly teach creative thinking, and how schools can evidence pupils’ progress in creativity alongside knowledge acquisition.
Use this evaluation tool
We have created an evaluation tool for use with your school leadership teams to develop an understanding of where your current curriculum sits in relation to introducing and embedding a focus on fostering pupil creativity. The aim of using this tool is to celebrate and acknowledge the work you are already doing, as well as to refine actions going forward.
This tool could help with reviewing the curriculum at a whole school level, ensuring that expectations of experiences within the curriculum are relevant and catered for effectively. It could also support teacher development in the planning and application of the delivery methods.
This tool is intended to be used alongside the Rethinking Curriculum Evaluation Framework.
Use this document to explore how this approach aligns with the national curriculum
As part of this project, schools asked for a tool to map how specific curriculum approaches aligned with the current National Curriculum. We invite you to use this document to further develop and refine your curriculum vision.
Go further with our reading and resources list
We have created a list of further reading and resources to deepen your understanding of creative teaching approaches and teaching for pupil creativity. These include academic research, case studies and webinars. We have ensured that all resources are either open access or available to members of The Chartered College of Teaching.
