The Government has pledged to set up a Creative and Cultural Education Advisory Board to improve the development of creativity in schoolchildren and to review the Creative Partnerships (CP) programme. The commitments come in a co-ordinated response by the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to Nurturing Creativity in Young People, a report by educationalist Paul Roberts (AP issue 127, 31 July), published earlier this year. The report called for the development of strong and sustainable connections between the creative and educational sectors and the response to it hints at an expanded role for the CP programme which currently operates in 36 areas around the country. The two departments declare they will agree a sustainable and value for money delivery model which maintains the programmes unique contribution to schools.
The formal response to the report includes plans to explore the idea of Creative Portfolios for young people, increasing the role of Creativity in Early Years education, and supporting schools in developing partnerships with the cultural industries. Other plans include expanding the Arts Award scheme; conducting a feasibility study for a programme to place student teachers in creative, non-school settings; and the development of Creative Apprenticeships for school leavers. The schools inspectorate, Ofsted, has also been instructed to consider creativity in all its subject surveys from 2007/08. The new Creative and Cultural Education Advisory Board will oversee these actions and have responsibility for building a more coherent creative and cultural offer for all young people. Paul Roberts, who will Chair the new Board, said, The Government response is a good start in creating a really coherent framework that gives all young people creative opportunities. The crucial test will come in implementing the actions set out in this response.
Published: 20-11-2006