Professor Teresa Cremin, Co-Director, Literacy and Social Justice Centre at The Open University and Chair of the TDF Advisory Group, shares her cautious optimism for the re-valuing of the arts within the ‘refreshed’ curriculum and encourages all those involved in the Teacher Development Fund programme, both past and present, to add their voices to the ongoing review.
In many ways, education is a story of hope. While over the decades, the characters, settings, and plots differ, the desire of educators to make a difference remains a persistent theme, alongside a collective determination to enable all learners to grow and thrive.
So I am cautiously optimistic about the new narratives being scoped: at the Labour Party conference, Lisa Nandy underscored the cultural sector’s role in supporting children’s development and declared that ‘a complete education is a creative education’. Furthermore, the English curriculum review aims to deliver a ‘broader’ programme ‘with improved access to music, art, sport and drama’. What emerges, however, will depend on many factors, not least the interplay of this goal with others, such as the guarantee of ‘an excellent foundation in the core subjects of reading, writing and maths’.
Many of the inspiring TDF partnership projects have examined the synergies between the arts and literacy, exploring the impact of drama on children’s writing, for instance. These have widened teachers’ assurance as creative pedagogues, broadened their conceptions of literacy and prompted deeper recognition of the significance of the arts.
I hope that the ‘refreshed’ curriculum will help the wider profession also feel confident enough to re-value the arts for their own sake and eschew the need to justify arts provision through raised literacy outcomes.
To achieve this, changes to the school accountability system are crucial, so it is encouraging that the review seeks ‘an assessment system that captures the strengths of every child and young person; the breadth of the curriculum’. Excitingly, those involved in TDF projects have pioneered ways to capture arts-based learning—both children’s and teachers. For example, Sarah Eastaff’s reflections on the ‘Inspiring Leaders, Creative Learners’ project show Doncaster teachers using photos, visual art, and recordings as evidence of what is working well in their schools. Other routes are described by Vicky Storey and Pat Cochrane in the spring newsletter, including the use of dance to help teachers reflect deeply and express their learning.
Since 2016, TDF projects have developed a rich evidence base of how, through teacher development, arts-embedded work can improve equity. This social justice focus is another aspect of the Fund that aligns with the review’s remit — to address barriers to learning.
It was energising to hear the discussions at the recent Round 7 Cohort Learning Day as new partners examined their inquiry questions through the lens of educational inequality. They were determined to make a difference.
The review offers a chance for the voice of the Fund’s beneficiaries to be heard and for you to influence the development of a more creative and cultural curriculum.
The DfE is asking for details of what works well and ideas for potential improvements. This exists in abundance in these transformative partnerships, and whilst PHF will make a submission, the lived experience of those directly involved matters.
Whilst there is always something more pressing to do, and we may hesitate, wondering if anyone will listen to our perspective, I think we each have a responsibility to respond to this review and I firmly believe the powerful voices of the engaged educators and arts organisations from the 55 TDF projects would command attention.
So, I am appealing to everyone who wants the arts returned to their rightful place at the heart of the primary curriculum, and specifically, those who have benefitted from the TDF — within and beyond England — to submit your evidence by November 22.
The TDF team has created a Padlet to support you. You could simply revisit your end-of-project summary and showcase the empowering potential of the arts through a brief case study of what worked well for your children and why. Your insights about professional learning, the value of communities of practice, your particular arts focus, and the impact on the children deserve to be heard.
Please note, the DfE Call for Evidence closes on 22 November 2024. An interim review will be published in 2025.
Together, we can help shape the next chapter of this story of hope.
The DfE Call for Evidence closes on 22 November. Please share your your learning from the Teacher Development Fund and contribute to this vital discussion.
Pat Cochrane and Vicky Storey, evaluation support consultants for rounds 3–8 of the Teacher Development Fund, reflect on the differing approaches to evaluation across TDF projects and share some of the ways that colleagues have enabled genuine exploration and learning as an integral part of the process.
TDF evaluation consultants, Pat Cochrane and Vicky Storey, speak with three senior leaders from recent Teacher Development Fund programmes to explore their role within the evaluation of their projects. Together, they discuss how senior leaders can lead and sustain evaluation processes to shape programme development and enhance professional learning outcomes.
