Arts Education within Curriculum for Excellence Engage Scotland Conference Pam Slater CfE Engagement Team 31 October 2007

Values The Curriculum….must enable young people to build up a strong foundation of knowledge and understanding and promote a commitment to considered judgement and ethical action ( Page 11 ACfE 2004)

A Curriculum for Excellence: values, purposes and principles Wisdom Justice Compassion Integrity Purposes Successful learners Confident individuals Responsible citizens Effective contributors Principles Challenge and enjoyment Breadth Progression Depth Personalisation and choice Coherence Relevance

Proposals: Organising Learning Organising learning through curriculum areas - to provide breadth Health and well being Languages Mathematics Sciences Social studies Expressive arts Technologies Religious and moral education

Sustainable development Cross-cutting themes Citizenship Enterprise Creativity Sustainable development ACfe offers the opportunity to embed these various important elements into the curriculum, not bolt them on. A Curriculum for Excellence offers a way of unifying the curriculum through themes such as enterprise, citizenship, sustainable development, health and creativity. Often seen as add-ons, these can be built into the curriculum framework.

Proposals: Looking at the curriculum differently Single framework 3 – 18 Promote learning across a wide range of contexts and well planned experiences More than curriculum areas and subjects, also Ethos and life of the school Interdisciplinary projects and studies Opportunities for personal achievement Equip young people with high level of literacy and numeracy skills

Opportunities for personal achievement “ ..activities such as performances, community or enterprise activities and trips. … Many of these activities are voluntary for learners and have traditionally been organised as ‘extra-curricular’ opportunities. However, they play a major part in creating opportunities for individual growth , progress and achievement and we need to consider how they can be made available for all learners.”

Teachers are key… to successful implementation of A Curriculum for Excellence. The quality of learning and teaching in every classroom – and the inspiration, challenge and enjoyment which can come from teachers’ enthusiasm and commitment – will be critical to achieving our aspirations for all young people. (p1) Ensure all educators, including EY and ASN, are included. Everyone responsible for children’s learning. Message that leadership for learning has to be encouraged in all our schools

The Responsibility of all Teachers “To ensure that young people develop the literacy, numeracy and other essential skills and knowledge they will need for life and work.” Page 4 A Curriculum for Excellence

Health and wellbeing Children and young people need to experience what it feels like to develop, enjoy and live a healthy lifestyle. Provides an opportunity for working across curriculum areas. The potential of the Arts to support young people’s sense of well-being

Social Studies Learning in Social Studies should allow sufficient flexibility for schools to reflect issues of importance to the local community. Drama, literature, art and music can all enrich learning in social studies and there is scope for strong links with learning in languages, science and RME.

Expressive Arts Learning in the expressive arts provides opportunities to underpin and enrich learning in all other curriculum areas and more widely. Offers powerful opportunities for children and young people to develop their creativity, work co-operatively and communicate with others, and show initiative, dependability, leadership and enterprise.

Technologies The technologies value and promote the development of practical skills as the core of their experiences. The technologies provide fruitful territory for teachers to design challenging and motivating interdisciplinary work and projects, potentially with all other areas of the curriculum.

Implications Role of the teacher Shift from prescription about detail of the curriculum towards more scope for professional judgement and creativity Enhancing both initial teacher education and CPD Teachers who exemplify the 4 capacities Teachers for excellence

Leadership A Curriculum for Excellence places increased expectations on the leadership of schools. As at present, headteachers and other leaders will … have opportunities to be creative in curriculum design, learning from evidence of practice, within clear parameters. Progress and Proposals, 2006 A major focus for leadership in future should be on developing leadership at all levels, priorities for improvement with a strong drive on improving learning and teaching. Improving Scottish Education, 2006 HMIe Message that leadership for learning has to be encouraged in all our schools

The Expressive Arts Story

The task is to produce a curriculum framework of experiences and outcomes that will describe the expected learning experience of each child and young person from Early to Fourth Level. Curriculum Design Commissioning Statement (summer 2006) Definition of the task

Points to be addressed in all curricular areas Ensure that experiences and outcomes are inclusive and applicable for children and young people with additional support needs. (Consider that some children and young people communicate using such means as sign language, symbol boards and other technologies.) Links to cross-cutting themes, e.g. enterprise, citizenship, sustainable development, creativity. Links to the 4 capacities.

Points to be addressed in writing outcomes for Expressive Arts (BtC1) Experience inspiration and enjoyment. Scope to work with range of artists, musicians, organisations in culture and the arts. Reflect cultural values: local, national, international. Emphasis on participation / active engagement in activities.

…more points for Expressive Arts Encourage innovative and creative learning experiences. 3 Lines of Development: creating; presenting; evaluating. Close working between Health and Wellbeing and Expressive Arts teams for Dance.

Art and Design, Level 2 Outcome, Creating Through engagement with artists, designers and cultural organisations and within an environment that encourages creative thinking, I can: use a range of media, including moving image media, when developing my artwork, choosing the most appropriate materials for specific tasks.

experiencing the magic, wonder and power of the arts At all levels, learning in, through and about the expressive arts will be enhanced and enriched by: partnerships with professional arts companies, creative adults and cultural organisations experiencing the magic, wonder and power of the arts recognising and nurturing creative and aesthetic talents.

Art and Design, Second Level Outcomes, Creating I can demonstrate a number of ways to observe and record visual and tactile information, from a range of sources, including the constructed and natural environments. I have added to the range of media I use, such as moving image media, when developing my artwork, choosing the most appropriate materials for specific tasks. I can use the visual elements and concepts including space, scale and proportion, to convey ideas, thoughts and feelings in my expressive and design work.

Art and Design, Second, Third & Fourth Level Outcomes, Creating Second Level I can use the visual elements and concepts including space, scale and proportion, to convey ideas, thoughts and feelings in my expressive and design work. Third Level I can use the visual elements and concepts including perspective and composition, with confidence, to convey ideas, thoughts and feelings in my expressive and design work. Fourth Level I can use the visual elements and concepts, with confidence, expressing qualities and relationships, in order to convey information, ideas, thoughts and feelings in my expressive and design work.

Essential Reading A Curriculum for Excellence. Progress and Proposals. Building the Curriculum 1and 2. Promoting Creativity in Education. Scotland’s Culture.

How Can the National Galleries help? Contribute to developing partnerships with schools enhancing the quality of experiences for pupils development of 4 capacities in young people (& perhaps even in some teachers) the design of the curriculum & the achievement of some of the purposes & principles (through the programmes you offer)

“This boy shows great originality which must be curbed at all costs” Sir Peter Ustinov Surely this poor lad did not experience a curriculum based on the values, purposes and principles of CfE. If there was ever a quote which illustrated the complete opposite of what we are trying to promote now in CfE, then I think this might be it! Move on to literacy/numeracy activities Activity 27

Curriculum for Excellence 2007