[tabs] [tab title=”Behavioural Improvement”]

Behavioural issues within schools come in many forms, be it attendance problems, disengagement/disruption within the classroom, bullying or even personal and emotional difficulties – all of which make learning problematic. With this in mind schools need to be equipped and pro-active in overcoming these issues and from Blueprint: Film Foundation’s experience and that of numerous studies, creativity can definitely aid in overcoming this. Classroom environments and intense theoretical activity can often over face young people and label learning as a chore, however by incorporating creativity into the curriculum you are presenting a fresh, exciting and challenging approach to learning outcomes and often there is an end product to produce which we have found gives young people more motivation to succeed in reaching this goal as the end results are tangible and something that can reflect achievement.

“Creative activity & inventive cross-curricular links and connections can engage learners who struggle to access the full curriculum or who are at risk of becoming disengaged from learning.” Government Response to Paul Roberts’ Report on Nurturing Creativity in Young People

Blueprint: Film Foundation specialises in shaping projects within schools that overcome numerous behavioural and engagement issues as we have found that filmmaking immediately injects young people with excitement and is something that they associate as being sociable, entertaining and fun. On top of this it allows young people to try out new things such as camera or sound operating and quite often we un-earth many hidden talents from young people who rebel in a classroom but excel and overcome behavioural and engagement issues in a more practical environment. We also believe that film is a tool that enables young people to develop many social and interpersonal skills as they discuss real-life stories that they can interpret into a film’s narrative, communicate as part of a production team to ensure performance and filming goes hand in hand and much of this is sub-conscious as they are just key elements to ensuring that their end product is made and this in turn makes them responsible for their own learning and dispels behavioral and engagement issues.

[/tab] [tab title=”EAL”]

Although they may be judged to be at the same overall level as their peers, gaps in EAL learners’ general knowledge of English and how it is used will often mean that they need further help. For young people, entering a new school can be worrying, but for those who have to learn a new language it is much, much harder.

The wonderful diversity of England and our desire to build integrated and considerate communities means we have a responsibility to ensure these young people are able to:

• Engage in classroom activities

• Learn alongside their peers

• Celebrate their own cultural identity

• Feel more confident in communicating their ideas

The challenge for classroom teachers is to ensure all pupils have equal access to learning while ensuring learning outcomes and objectives are being met. Working with teachers and pupils, Blueprint: Film Foundation are able to offer your pupils the chance to work on projects where spoken and written language take a back seat to creative expression. “Getting out of their skin” helps them overcome shyness. It also boosts their speaking confidence and fluency, giving them real contexts to react to in the safe environment of the class.

Working creatively can offer EAL pupils:

• Confidence and communication skills

• Whole class working together to learn a new technical language

• Gesture, expression and movement as communication

• Interpersonal skills

• Safe spaces through which to explore their concerns

 

[/tab] [tab title=”Health and Social Education”]

Being a young person in the modern world is difficult and contradictory.  Our young people are afforded greater freedom than any of their predecessors but the massive (and increasing) disparity between rich and poor means many young people are simply not afforded the social and personal opportunities open to their peers.

With increased online socialising and conflicting messages about their health and mental well-being, young people are often cast adrift to make sense of the world on their own. ‘Issues’ is a word anyone working with young people will know well; alcohol, sexual health, mental health, bullying, smoking, domestic abuse, sexual identity, anger, drugs, isolation, motivation and social mobility are few among many themes young people get badged under.

Driving and forcing an agenda around these ‘issues’ muddy the water through which young people can make their own decisions and realisations, often leaving young people feeling patronised and disconnected.

Blueprint: Film Foundation does things differently.  When working to explore the personal and social health of young people we always start with the most important factor; the young people and their wellbeing.

We believe young people:

• Have the power to change their own lives

• Can hear both sides of a debate and find their own truth

• Should be free from dogma or marketing about personal decisions

• Are both mature enough to understand a logical argument but are young enough to need help finding these arguments

• Have the right to make their own decisions

 

Blueprint: Film Foundation don’t believe in picking an ‘issue’ and delivering lessons about the dangers.  We believe in working with young people to examine the questions they have about their own lives, in a secure, open and non-judgemental space.

These can be difficult for young people to open up about, but filmmaking and creative thinking:

• Allows fictional characters to carry a burden or make different choices

• Allows young people to explore by themselves the consequences of their actions to inform their own choices

• Generates group discussion and debate around these ‘issues’ and allows peer-to-peer learning to take place

• Offers young people the chance to express personal concerns through cathartic fictional means

• Gives young people focus and shared goals, offering respite from their own personal difficulties and struggles

The benefits of filmmaking and creative working can be felt far and wide in building dynamic, independent and brave young adults, better equipped to face an ever evolving and difficult world.

[/tab] [tab title=”Primary”]

“Children discover that learning is not passive, but an active process”

Few would contest that active, engaged and experimental children progress well through education, but can we say the same about engaging those furthest away from traditional learning processes?

Early stage learning is made up of key questions:

• Why should I learn?

• How do I learn?

• How do I apply what I’ve learned?

This process of learning has taken place from the beginnings of the child’s life and there is no reason why this shouldn’t continue when they start school. Creative Curriculum can help you develop new ways to approach your curriculum while actively engaging those children who tend to disengage from typical classroom activities.

 

“Young children thrive on role play and imagining themselves as their favourite fictional character, a pirate or princess maybe.” Teaching Times

 

Creative Curriculum works with young children and teaches to dismantle the National Curriculum subjects and rebuild them, piece-by-piece, question-by-question.  Children are encouraged to probe and interrogate which bits go where, and more importantly, why?  Children are allowed to cast off the burden of acquiring knowledge and are instead able to focus on processing how they learn and how their new skills can be implemented elsewhere.

Creative Curriculum:

• Encourages risk taking, imagination and experimentation

• Offers fresh perspective on subjects/themes

• Encourages children to share learning

• Champions questioning, experimentation and bravery

• Encourages children to evaluate and improve their own learning  

Blueprint: Film Foundation have worked with a number of Primary Schools, introducing children to the skills and knowledge required for creative film making and digital media.

[/tab] [tab title=”Secondary”]

“Creative people are purposeful as well as imaginative. Their imaginative activity is directed at achieving an objective” National Curriculum website

One of the challenges of teaching secondary school pupils is engaging classes en masse to a shared objective to help them achieve their learning aims.  Where younger pupils find creative self-expression easier to access, secondary school pupils are typically wrestling with many aspects of the world and their place within it, often in the context of a fast paced and ever evolving society. The nature of modern society means young people and their understanding of the world is an ever changing and evolving state.

In order to face these challenges we need to teach them to be;

• Independent enquirers

• Creative and critical thinkers

• Reflective learners

• Team workers

• Self-managers

• Effective participants

All of these elements build a classroom environment where experimentation and engaged learning are common place.

Creative Curriculum can help you develop new ways to approach your curriculum while actively engaging those children who tend to disengage from typical classroom activities.

“With the evolution of our society and the rapid growth of new technologies, the young learners of today face new challenges on a global platform. As teachers, our aim is to prepare students so they can be successful in the modern-day world and workplace”  KS3 teacher, Parkside Middle School

 

Creative Curriculum works with pupils and teachers to dismantle the National Curriculum subjects and rebuild them, piece-by-piece, question-by-question. Pupils are allowed to cast off the burden of acquiring knowledge and are instead able to focus on processing how they learn and how their new skills can be implemented elsewhere.  They can focus their attention on applying their learning to develop their capacity for change.

Blueprint: Film Foundation have worked with a number of secondary schools; introducing children to the skills and knowledge required for creative film making and digital media.

[/tab] [tab title=”SEN and Disability”]

“Many children with different types of SEN are able to achieve well and high expectations will ensure that SEN identification is not a barrier to success”

 

Young people have a number of differing challenges and experiences to navigate as they grow up, and often those pupils with different physical needs and learning abilities have a greater struggle than their peers.  Regardless of their individual needs, all young people have the right to outstanding education and choices in their lives. Each pupil and school will have it’s own needs and challenges, and we can help you access creative skills to enable effective learning, build confidence and raise aspirations and expectations.

We can work with you to understand:

• Why creativity is central to making the curriculum accessible

• How the skills needed for filmmaking can be developed, regardless of ability

• How pupils respond differently to creative activity

• How to promote achievements and motivation through creative experiences

• How the curriculum can be extended and represented in innovative ways for pupils with SEN

• How to use interactive methods of teaching and alternative methods of communication

[/tab] [/tabs]