How can creativity enhance attainment, achievement and enjoyment in KS3 English?
Sutherland College in Telford is a National Challenge school and the UK’s best improved, non-selective secondary school. This project’s enquiry question aimed to enhance Year 8 pupils’ experience and skills in different genres of writing (storytelling, poetry and drama with a focus on dialect, accent and cultural diversity).
Pupils worked with Urban Voice Drama Company over one week with at least one different practitioner for every day of the week - dance, visual art, film, creative writing, animation and drama to explore poetry. The work generated was documented and edited into a 15 minute film which has been shown to a pupil screening and a staff professional development day.
Project objectives
The project aimed to widen engagement and raise confidence in English, raise attainment levels and improve behaviour.
English staff commented that pupils have been more engaged and referenced the experience very enthusiastically. A pupil said, "We have a better understanding of poetry and performing arts. I used to think poetry was all about love but I know it can be about anything! I wouldn't normally choose to have a go at all these things but I found I liked things I didn't want to do initially".
Who was involved?
A small group of Year 8 pupils became the focus group. One of the pupils Josh commented on a poetry project:
"I thought it was going to be boring, but it was really good. I expected lots of writing; when I heard poetry I thought uuuggghhhh! But it wasn't like that at all!"
Impact
Pupils had the opportunity to take risks and it was this that generated some of the most interesting and deeply emotive work that surpassed expectation.
Urban Voice Director Karl Veltman said "The process certainly inspired the young people and was a catalyst for their creative thinking – we hope the final resource will inspire them to break down any barriers to learning or creative thinking they may have and allow them the confidence to explore their own creativity in poetry, their English classes and across the curriculum in the future."
This was borne out following reflection with the young people; they enjoyed working in a different way with adult professionals who weren't their teachers, recognising that the kinaesthetic learning experience had an impact not only on their learning, but on their behaviour too. As Jade said "We learnt we'd get more out of it if we focused". Pupil Jess added "They treated us as adults and gave us the chance to work as professionals. The staff might change the way they think of us and raise their expectations of us when they see the film."
Results
Students were astonished at the film, many of them hadn't realised that the work was of such a high standard until they saw it documented. They were so involved with the process, the film has served as a reflection and documentation tool so that they can step back and look at it again. They hope staff will take more risks and give students more variety as a result. They would also like English to be as broad as the project and blur the boundaries between English and Performing Arts even more in the future.
