Room for

improvement
7
What makes the perfect creative space?
Bubble-wrap chairs and spinning tables
were just some of the original ideas
proposed by a school’s art club.

Year group: 5

Subject: Art and design

Scheme 3C: Can we change

of work: places?

NC p1a, p1b, p2c, p4a, p5b

programme
of study:

f
creativity:
find it!
Working in a real-life context captured
the pupils’ interest.
p challenging brief: to research and model the ideal space for
Open-ended questions helped the
pupils to think imaginatively.
p spaces in school that would lend themselves to practical and
The pupils envisaged how different
f
spaces could be transformed by
rearranging furniture, or changing
colours, for example.
The pupils made connections between
the task, their own experience of art
and design, and other people’s needs.
f by asking, ‘What would happen in the art space and who would
In this project you will see evidence of pupils:
• making connections and seeing relationships
• envisaging what might be
• exploring ideas, keeping options open.
The project story
The teacher who ran the club gave the year 5 pupils a
making art. She explained that their work would contribute to
national research into creative spaces, funded by the Clore
Duffield Foundation. The project lasted for about a term, with
the pupils spending an hour a week after school working on
designs and models.
The teacher began by giving the pupils a clear mission: to find
creative learning. Together they walked around the inside and
outside of the school looking at spaces. The teacher asked
open-ended questions – such as ‘Is this a good space for
working in? Why? Does it have to be multi-functional? Could
we improve it?’ and ‘What if we got rid of this partition?’ – to
get the pupils thinking creatively. The pupils responded with
some interesting and thoughtful observations. They eventually
decided that the library (a small Victorian building separate
from the main school) would be a good space to turn into an
art room. They came up with a long list of reasons, including:
’it’s a big space’, ‘strong shapes’, ‘objects for inspiration’, ‘big
sinks’, ‘heating’, ‘air conditioning’.
The teacher noted all of their ideas and extended their thinking
use it?’ ‘What would help people to work creatively?’ ‘What are
the needs of others who might use the space?’ The pupils came
up with thoughtful, considerate responses, drawing on both
their knowledge of other children, the teachers, the caretaker,
for example, and their own experiences.
 p
creativity:
promote it!
Giving the pupils free rein with a
variety of materials encouraged them
to experiment.
The pupils played with ideas,
experimenting with shapes, materials
and textures.
The outcomes ranged from fantastic
ideas and themes, to practical (but still
imaginative) solutions.
You will see the teacher promoting creativity by:
• setting the pupils a real-life challenge
• asking open-ended questions
• giving the pupils a free rein.
Back in the art club, the pupils began to sketch designs for the
p library space. The teacher encouraged them to work in groups
of three or four to create three-dimensional models, and gave
them a wide range of materials (including card, pipe-cleaners,
coloured paper, fabric and recycled materials). The pupils were
so enthused by the task that many of them worked on their
designs at home, researching furniture and use of space, and
f collecting interesting materials and objects to add to their
models. They eagerly anticipated the weekly art club and were
keen to share and develop their ideas.
To the teacher’s delight, the pupils suggested holding an
exhibition of their work. They invited the headteacher, other
f children, teachers, governors and parents, and talked
enthusiastically to visitors about their designs. Paul pointed out
the importance of having a good source of light in his design:
‘I’ve thought of these kind of windows: when it is a sunny day,
they spell “creativity” on the wall.’ He went on to talk about
how to solve the problem of the mess created by using clay on a
pottery wheel: ‘I’ve made a kind of plastic round shape to go
around the pottery wheel so it stops the clay from going
everywhere.’ He also wanted desks and stools that retracted
into the floor: ‘If we need to do something on the floor, we can
get the tables and stools out of the way.’
 7
Most of the pupils showed that they
Jenni had come up with a different solution to providing a
flexible space – using bubble chairs. ‘You can take out the
could see designs in their mind’s eye
and translate them into 3D models.
Working together, the pupils developed
and modified each other’s ideas.
f popper and they will go flat so you put them back in the
cupboard.’ Another group liked this idea and, with the teacher’s
encouragement, developed it by proposing bubble-wrap chairs
that deflate and sink into the ground.

Richard designed tables with a wheel set into them that spin to
get different colour paints. He also suggested a table with
different coloured backgrounds, so that pupils could experiment
with which would suit their work best.

Jamie came up with a novel solution to the problem of

disposing of rubbish: ‘A bin on the wall like a saucer, and you
put things on a black object with a fan inside. This blows up
into the bin and it sorts the stuff into different categories like
paper and cans.’

By the end of the project, the pupils had invested so much

creative energy into their brilliant ideas that they began to
wonder whether they could actually be brought to life. The
school is now investigating how to turn some of their designs
into an art space for the school and community. A successful bid
to the local education authority has secured funding to relocate
the school library and create an art suite where the library is
now.

What the teacher said

‘The pupils’ designs and models were very impressive, but it was
the ideas, thought and investigation that made this project so
valuable. The way they thought about the use of space and
materials showed a fearless attitude and gave rise to
imaginative, intuitive ideas. This project has captured the
attention of the headteacher, governors and parents. Adults are
listening to children, respecting and valuing their ideas and
taking them seriously.’

Ref: QCA/04/1292
© Qualifications and Curriculum Authority 2004