"Creative Partnerships has given us a creative licence, allowing us to be more experimental and more challenging with our teaching."

Pupils in Barnsley are experiencing an innovative creative curriculum which puts them in charge of their own learning.

Kingstone School, supported by Creative Partnerships BDR, has developed an innovative collapsed curriculum where subjects like RE, history, geography, English and PHSE form part of ‘Cultural Studies’ . With this dynamic approach and developing specialist drama expertise, learning becomes more responsive and exciting as pupils immerse themselves in the critical issues and narratives by relating them to real life events.

“We want to build the curriculum around students’ interests-making them feel more motivated to study. This approach really brings the curriculum to life” says Headteacher Matthew Milburn who has steered the new programme through and is passionate about its impact on the motivation and learning of pupils.

“The teachers have had to be very brave and trust that they can adapt to what the children say. We are encouraging kids to think for themselves and to talk openly about these key historical moments, such as when women got the vote, which leads to debates about democracy and so much more.”

So how does this drama-focused approach work in action? In one exciting example, the Key Stage 3 pupils took part in the ‘Plots and Protests’ drama workshop where they had to take on the roles of the protesters and plan to be in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament with Guy Fawkes on the night of the Gunpowder Plot. The pupils worked in teams to decide their actions as they heard the guards approaching. This exercise had many cross-curricular links, improving leadership skills amongst students and opening up debates about diverse issues from terrorism to freedom fighting. At the same time communication skills and self-presentation skills are developed alongside the art of critical and sensitive negotiation.

The school is working with Creative Partnerships on this innovative project where teachers themselves have been encouraged to become learners, pupils have been introduced to moral dilemmas and highly skilled Creative Practitioners with professional drama skills mentor the programme.

What’s next for this innovative programme which is allowing pupils to take charge? Matthew Millburn is looking to a digital creative future….

“We are looking to explore, with the help of Creative Partnerships BDR, the role of e portfolios so that each student can digitally document and track their own progress in understanding, communications skills and knowledge in cultural studies. We want each young person to be taking more and more control of their learning progress and self-evaluation is an important part of the next part of the story for Cultural Studies.”