Creative Schools Curriculum

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We have curated a variety of creative curriculum projects:

1. Takeover Day, Kids in Museums

2. Take One Picture, The National Gallery

3. Creative Art Week, Thomas’s Kensington

4. Museums and Schools working together

5. Sandford Shorts

6. How to make your heritage site Covid-friendly

1. Takeover Day

Caroline Marcus is former Director of Kids in Museums flagship national programme, Takeover Day. She worked with museums nationally to make them more welcoming for children, young people and families. Takeover Day is an annual day across the UK when young people take on meaningful, decision-making roles in museums. From curators to café workers, consultants to pest controllers, welcome hosts to social media managers, they are in charge. The emphasis is on young people’s meaningful participation, involvement and powerful decision making.

Below are some Takeover Day examples and resources to help plan your Takeover Day:

Takeover Day launch at Stonehenge
Children takeover Stonehenge
Giving Confidence and encouragement to youngsters
Resources Kids in Museums
A guide to Takeover Day
Case study: Takeover Day, Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford
Blog: Takeover Day, Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford
Press Release. Takeover Day, Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford
Scotland Creates: National Museums Scotland
Press Release: Takeover Day launch 2014, Ancient House Museum, Thetford 

2. Take One Picture

Caroline Marcus was former Curator for the National Gallery’s Take One Picture Exhibition. Take One Picture the Gallery’s, flagship national primary school project. Each year, a single picture becomes the focus and inspiration for 4-11 year old children's learning across the curriculum. Looking in close detail at a single painting and discussing relevant universal themes enables pupils to make meaningful connections across cultures and time. It also allows children to discover, imagine and explore whilst unlocking their creativity. Thousands of primary school children throughout the UK and in international schools abroad have participated in the National Gallery's Take One Picture scheme, which has been running for over 20 years. Selected work is exhibited at the Gallery and there is also a digital display.

Teachers' resources, National Gallery
Teachers' resources, Ashmolean Museum
Teachers' resources, Jewish Museum
Take One Picture press release
Take One Picture audio slideshow, BBC

3. Creative Curriculum Week

We designed and led a creative curriculum week for a school with the aim of using the arts to improve attainment. The Staff team decided on a theme of Glistening Gold as it linked to the school’s mission statement and award system.

“It fits in well with our Unicorn Award, Golden Unicorns that are rewarded to pupils for great work and attitude. It is also the 50th anniversary of the school so we want all pupils and teachers to sparkle, shine and dazzle together.” Headteacher, Thomas’s Kensington

We recommended using the Arts Award framework to structure and record outcomes and worked collaboratively with staff to tailor workshops including an animation project. We brought in contemporary artists to work on specific projects and lead assemblies based on the theme.  We specialise in using frameworks including Visible Thinking Skills.

Learning and the Creative Curriculum

4. Museums and Schools Working Together

“All children and young people, wherever and whatever their start in life, should have the opportunity to have an arts and cultural education. England’s world-class museums have an important part to play, by providing a unique resource to understand the challenges and beauty of our varied past.”
– Darren Henley, CEO, Arts Council England

In 2012, Darren Henley, CEO Arts Council England wrote an independent review of the government into cultural education which resulted in the creation of Museums and Schools. The programme is designed to provide opportunities for school pupils to engage with their local museums in areas which currently have lower than average levels of cultural engagement. Darren cites that Museums are a vital part of the cultural education ecology and how the programme is having a huge impact on children and young people. The programme gives young people access to arts and culture which is a goal ACE is constantly working towards. Its new vision and strategy, Let’s Create, strives towards this too.

Museums & Schools Working Together, Group for Education in Museums

5. Sandford Shorts

Here you can watch ‘Sandford Shorts,’ e-tutorials delivered by The Sandford Award Judges and experts in the sector with a particular expertise relating to the Sandford Award criteria. The Awards focus on formal, curriculum-linked education opportunities offered to schools by heritage sites, although recognition is also made of informal learning such as family programmes.  The Awards are made annually and are non competitive.

The e-tutorials show how to:

• Deliver an engaging, informative and inspiring learning session

• Develop a programme through consultation with educational customers and individuals

• Ensure good management and administration for school visits to your suite

• Risk assess learning activities

 Watch Sandford Shorts e-tutorials

6. Space for Learning: Covid Secure guidance for museums, galleries, heritage and performing arts sites

Caroline represented Group for Education in Museums, GEM, on the individual task and finish group for Space for Learning. Guidance was developed by members of the Space for Learning: Covid Secure working group and individual task and finish groups, with support from the Clore Duffield Foundation, Engage, Group for Education in Museums (GEM) and the Theatre Education Forum (TEF).These webpages are to help learning services and freelancers understand how to work safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. They aim to provide a practical framework to think about what is needed to continue, or restart, learning services during the Covid-19 pandemic and to support the health and wellbeing of workers and audiences.

Space for Learning Covid Guidance

Takeover Day with social distancing measures in place

How to use the Kids in Museums Manifesto to plan for reopening