Alnwick school to lead regional project putting creativity at the centre of learning

Duchess’s Community High School (DCHS) is working in partnership with Creativity, Culture and Education on a three-year programme exploring teaching for creativity across the curriculum.

Primary schools in Seahouses, Swarland and Cambois have also been selected.

The new North East Creativity Collaboratives Network (NECCN) led by DCHS is one of only eight pilot projects across the whole of England.

DCHS co-heads Alan Rogers and James Wilson said: “We have a strong culture and ethos of creative learning embedded at the heart of our curriculum and are deeply committed to supporting all our students to reach their potential as creative capable learners.

"We are excited to be working with not only some of our feeder primary schools, but also schools with a similar ethos across the North East.

"Leading this network for the North East is an amazing opportunity and we look forward to the challenge.”

Ruth Brown, DCHS head of Creative Arts Faculty, added: “As one of only eight lead schools chosen across the whole country, this pilot project reflects our commitment to putting creativity at the centre of learning and to raising aspirations and improving the life chances of children and young people in the North East.

"We are excited and proud to be working with an amazing network of schools who are also passionate about this commitment.”

The initiative, funded by Arts Council England and the Freelands Foundation, was one of the key recommendations of the Durham Commission on Creativity and Education which aims to make the development of creativity skills an important education policy priority.

The network will explore and experiment with a range of approaches to embedding teaching for creativity across the curriculum.

Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE) the international creative learning foundation, based in Newcastle, has committed to working with the NECCN over the life of the pilot.

CCE director, Diane Fisher-Naylor, said: “We are passionate about unlocking the creativity of children and young people across the region, supporting them to be imaginative, inquisitive, collaborative, disciplined and persistent learners.

"The North East needs its young people to leave education equipped with these skills which are in demand by employers the world over and are also key to the strengthening the region’s economic recovery.”

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