Greg Klerkx reports on the latest Schools Forum, where teachers discussed the potential of the new National Curriculum to develop schools’ arts and culture offer.
September marks a huge change for schools across England as the government’s new National Curriculum begins to take hold. At the first AND Schools Forum of 2014, held on 29 January at Sadler’s Wells, 35 teachers from schools across London gathered to explore what the National Curriculum actually says about the arts – and how it might open new opportunities for schools to create a richer, more innovative arts offer.
Holly Donagh, AND Partnerships Director, gave an overview of the new National Curriculum and its key timelines and milestones. She noted that there is specific guidance for Music, Art and Design, and for Dance and Drama in the context of PE and English respectively. Along with design & technology, the humanities (geography and history), and modern foreign languages, the arts (comprising art & design, music, dance, drama, and media arts) will not be compulsory subjects after the age of 14. However, all pupils in maintained schools will have a statutory entitlement to be able to study a minimum of one subject in each of these four areas, meaning that all pupils will be entitled to study one arts subject should they wish.
While many teachers would like the arts to have a stronger claim in the National Curriculum, Holly pointed out that it is merely a baseline. The government emphasises that schools will still be evaluated on their broader offer to pupils, and that ‘The school curriculum comprises all learning and other experiences that each school plans for its pupils. The National Curriculum forms one part of the school curriculum.’ Holly also highlighted that a key stated aim of the National Curriculum is ‘to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement’, which the arts are uniquely placed to do... Keep reading on A New Direction
September marks a huge change for schools across England as the government’s new National Curriculum begins to take hold. At the first AND Schools Forum of 2014, held on 29 January at Sadler’s Wells, 35 teachers from schools across London gathered to explore what the National Curriculum actually says about the arts – and how it might open new opportunities for schools to create a richer, more innovative arts offer.
Holly Donagh, AND Partnerships Director, gave an overview of the new National Curriculum and its key timelines and milestones. She noted that there is specific guidance for Music, Art and Design, and for Dance and Drama in the context of PE and English respectively. Along with design & technology, the humanities (geography and history), and modern foreign languages, the arts (comprising art & design, music, dance, drama, and media arts) will not be compulsory subjects after the age of 14. However, all pupils in maintained schools will have a statutory entitlement to be able to study a minimum of one subject in each of these four areas, meaning that all pupils will be entitled to study one arts subject should they wish.
While many teachers would like the arts to have a stronger claim in the National Curriculum, Holly pointed out that it is merely a baseline. The government emphasises that schools will still be evaluated on their broader offer to pupils, and that ‘The school curriculum comprises all learning and other experiences that each school plans for its pupils. The National Curriculum forms one part of the school curriculum.’ Holly also highlighted that a key stated aim of the National Curriculum is ‘to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement’, which the arts are uniquely placed to do... Keep reading on A New Direction