Raising Our Game
Do cross-curricular creative activities develop student’s communication skills and confidence and in turn raise their levels of motivation, aspirations and attitude to learning?
The projects at The Radclyffe School, Oldham have included the following:
- Developing visual representations of chemical elements and the Periodic Table (Science & Art);
- Creation versus Evolution - development of an animated presentation (Science & Religious Studies);
- Production of a film celebrating the school's cultural diversity through the dramatisation of the experiences of newly-arrived overseas students (Drama, English, Languages);
- Creative writing about life as an apprentice in a Victorian textile mill (Humanities & English).
In 2008-9, 90 students (from year 7 and year 9) were involved in a total of 3 projects (covering 6 subject areas), working with 7 teachers and 5 visiting practitioners.
In 2009-10, project activity expanded to include 220 students (from years 7-11), working on 10 projects (covering all subject areas), with the involvement of 27 teachers and 12 practitioners.
The impact of the project has been reflected by the rapid expansion of enthusiastic uptake by staff of creative approaches, and highly positive evaluation feedback from both teachers and pupils. The legacy will lie in the planned formalising of creativity in the curriculum from 2011, through embedding creative activities in schemes of work for all subjects and by creative cross-curricular projects forming the basis for weekly creative learning days.
