If anyone can demonstrate the positive effect of art being integrated into the ethos of a school, Henry Ward – art teacher and Deputy Head of The Welling School, Bexley – can. His talk at School for Change, part of the Festival of Blackboards, was inspiring, entertaining and, most importantly, convincing.
Ward has introduced initiatives such as separate drawing classes; a gallery open to all students; the alTURNERtive Art Prize; and art-science lessons. All of this whilst maintaining art as a separate discipline. Students at the Welling School are encouraged to talk to each other about their art, and they are valued as artists. In one example, Ward described the making of cardboard dens in the classroom, which an Ofsted inspector ended up crawling around as part of the school’s inspection.
Ward’s in-depth presentation described his journey of change from arriving as a new art teacher at The Welling School, to becoming Deputy Head, and supporting the transformation of the school into a place where contemporary arts are at the heart of learning. He was joined at the School for Change event by two other panelists who presented updates on current education policy and advocacy initiatives.
Unsurprisingly, a key area of discussion was how the introduction of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) qualification will affect art education in England. Lesley Butterworth, General Secretary, National Society for Education in Art & Design (NSEAD), described the EBacc as “the most toxic thing to happen to education in my lifetime”.
With no art and design, the EBacc focuses on only five GCSE level subjects. The provision of art and design in schools at KS4 has fallen by 50% in 2012 as response. Butterworth listed many reasons for teaching art from a young age, including helping to develop language. She said: “Creative industries make a massive contribution to our national economy because of good teachers.” Yet this is confounded by cuts in funding for art and design PGCEs, and primary teacher trainers only needing to cover three hours of arts over three years. Butterworth questioned how this will affect the quality and availability of art teachers in the future.
Many education policy documents detail the changes to all layers of education. Elizabeth Crump of the Cultural Learning Alliance (CLA) deciphered what is relevant to the arts. Her main points for concern are the National Curriculum Review, EBacc and The Henley Review of the Cultural Education. As part of its advocacy, CLA are in conversation with the Department of Education and there is hope for pre-GSCE arts education. However, drama and dance are at risk of being completely removed from the Curriculum. Crump talked of a “disconnection in policy”; there is plenty of talk about appreciating the arts, but not the practice.
One English teacher in the audience spoke of oracy (the ability to express oneself fluently and grammatically in speech), a skill that is vital to a successful life. The educational benefits of dialogue were raised in both Ward’s and Butterworth’s talks. Indeed, many in the audience felt that creative subjects encourage people to form their own opinions and be active in the context they live.
An audience member reminded us of the importance of art and design training, stating that “visual communication is all around us”. Another highlighted the risk of evidencing art as a creative process when all subjects have this potential. For Ward, a narrowing curriculum makes it all the more important to give students space for different experiences, such as art. The fight is on to get the arts included and valued in education, even if the model isn’t quite right.
In summary, it was felt the arts must be valued as a specialism, alongside other subjects, as the 6th pillar in the EBacc; they should be taught throughout the National Curriculum. Future generations need to have space in their education to explore the world in diverse ways, broaden their minds and learn varied skills. This cannot happen without the arts.
School for Change was on Thursday 22 November at Highbury Grove School, Islington, London. It was organised by Cubitt Education.
More on a-n.co.uk:
Alternative art schools – Pippa Koszerek investigates the recent revival of alternative art schools. Includes profiles of eight alternative art school projects and opinion articles from Students’ Union officer Robyn Minogue, art historian Martin Patrick and artist Terry Smith.
Degrees of success – Jane Watt outlines the ways in which Degrees unedited, an open space for visual and applied arts students, can be used as a learning resource.
