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the whole tenor of the report was that creativity and culture are not some sort of bolt-on activities, but are skills that should be developed throughout all aspects of teaching and learning, in science as much as in the arts.

In some ways the report was ahead of its time.

It called for a reduction in the burden of assessment and said the national curriculum should be reduced to take up no more than 80% of the timetable.

there is still a long way to go before creativity is seen as fundamental to teaching and learning in schools.

The current fierce debate about the national tests, or Sats, at age 11 hinges on whether they contribute to a narrowing of the curriculum, with many teachers and schools feeling they dominate the final years of primary school.

a report published this week by the new charity Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE) highlights research suggesting that a focus on creativity in schools need not be at the expense of achievement in the basics.

Indeed, it claims the very opposite: that creativity boost exam results and attendance.

The report looks at the record of a programme called Creative Partnerships.

The results of this study suggest that Creative Partnerships is contributing to improved levels of attainment."

In particular, it found that "Young people who have attended Creative Partnerships activities made, on average, the equivalent of 2.5 grades better progress in GCSE than similar young people in other schools."

It found "improvements in literacy, particularly writing, and speaking were significant in the majority of schools visited".

Educational research is rarely definitive as there are always so many other variables involved in pupil attainment.

But the evidence so far seems to back the view that putting a real emphasis on creative and cultural education in schools has broad benefits.

other nations provide:



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  • Extensive opportunities for formal and informal in-service development.

  
  
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  • Time for professional learning and collaboration built into teachers’ work hours.

  
  
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  • Professional development activities that are ongoing and embedded in teachers’ contexts.

  
  
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  • School governance structures that support the involvement of teachers in decisions regarding curriculum and instructional practice.

  
  
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  • Teacher induction programs for new teachers that include release time for new teachers and mentors, and formal training of mentors.