EDUCATION CREATIVITY IN THE I
n a recent letter to The Guardian, a number of prominent artists, including Tracey Emin and Antony Gormley, expressed their concerns about the status of arts and creative subjects in UK
secondary schools. Concerns were raised over the government’s drive for 90 per cent of GCSE pupils to choose the English Baccalaureate (Ebacc) subject combination by 2025, which does not include any arts or creative subjects. The letter said, “There is compelling evidence that the study
of creative subjects is in decline in state schools and that entries to arts and creative subjects have fallen to their lowest level in a decade. Young people are being deprived of opportunities for personal development in the fields of self-expression, sociability, imagination and creativity.” The creative industries bring in £92 billion to the UK economy
each year but this is often little publicised in a drive to fill job vacancies.
Global creative success At the 37th COBIS annual conference held in May, Kirsty
Mehta, senior assistant principal at The BRIT School in Croydon, UK – a state-funded performing arts school which boasts alumni such as Adele, Amy Winehouse and Tom Holland – explained why she believes that arts and creative subjects should be placed at the centre of the curriculum in order to help children thrive. The BRIT School is one of just three state-funded performing
arts schools in the country. Founded in 1991 by two musicians and an investment from Richard Branson, along with the support of the British Record Industry Trust (BRIT), the school flies the flag for both the creative and vocational curriculum – 99 per cent of its students go onto further education or employment and Ms Mehta believes strongly that the vocational subjects that students take at the school (which are part and parcel of the study programme) mean that they are work-ready and easily employable. Children can join at either 14 or 16 and – at 14 – study a core
curriculum of GCSEs, which includes maths, English and science but they also have five hours a week dedicated to working towards BTEC qualifications in numerous performing arts subjects such as Film & Media Production, Dance, Music, Visual Arts and Design. At 16+ students can choose BTEC qualifications, A levels or a mixture of both. “Twenty per cent of our students go straight into the world of
CURRICULUM
The focus on STEM subjects over the past five years has been widely marketed as a fast-track to success in technical careers where demand for global talent is outstripping supply. But could our obsession with STEM create a creativity crisis? Heather Carruthers digs a little deeper.
work after they leave our school because they’ve been vocationally trained,” said Ms Mehta. The hands-on experience also means that they are really able to develop their talents. Ms Mehta says that it has taken the school 25 years of hard work
to get to where it is today but it now generates global interest – Apple CEO, Tim Cook paid a recent visit to the school which resulted in a £280,000 donation of Apple products. “The kind of educational provision at The BRIT School is
normally something you have to pay for,” said Ms Mehta, “and I’ve often been asked how to bottle our success. The energy you feel when you walk through the door is immense and it’s difficult to provide a blueprint for that.” However, she did offer some advice for families looking for a
school that excels in creative subjects. “Exceptional facilities and equipment are vital. We are very relaxed and free – we have no bells, no uniform, quirkiness is celebrated. Kids feel like they can be who they want to be and are accepted,” said Ms Mehta.
The opportunities at international schools Students at Nord Anglia Education schools such as The British
International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park, benefit from an arts curriculum developed in collaboration with the world-renowned Juilliard School. Students participate in activities developed by Juilliard, teachers have access to the Juilliard Creative Classroom and Juilliard performers provide workshops, masterclasses and performances in the schools. “Through an over focus – or obsession – with league tables,
school curriculums have narrowed, limiting children’s education,” explains principal, Ed Pearce. “We believe that education should do more than this, and instead focus on educating the whole child.
British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park
32 | Relocate | Summer 2018
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