The

Creative curriculum: inspiring young imaginations using the arts is just one of the ways Anna Warren teaches her
pupils. Photograph: Tom Finnie
As a creative school, with a track recor in fantastic !nglish results, we are often aske
what our specific approach is: how o we teach through the arts yet manage to maintain
such high e"pectations from all our pupils# $% like to share some of these approaches
with you:
Immersion activities
&ow can chilren access stories, poems an other te"ts if their mins an imaginations
not fully engage# We have foun that immersing chilren in a range of creative
Teacher 'etwork: site front
() creative ways to teach !nglish that
eliver outstaning results
As an English teacher at an outstanding primary, Anna Warren is
often asked for inspiration. Here she shares her favourite
approaches for creative English lessons
10 creative ways to teach English that deliver outstanding results | Teacher Network | guardian.co.uk http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/feb/14/teaching-english-creatively-outstanding-results
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activities *efore reaing the te"t means that they are fully prepare, an e"cite, a*out
the reaing journey ahea of them. Through painting, music composition, a film
project, in role rama or sculpture, the kis have ha a chance to share voca*ulary,
ieas an concepts which gives their reaing fresh meaning an purpose.
Clear purpose
What%s the point of reaing an writing anything if you on%t know why you%re oing it#
We aim to provie chilren with a clear purpose to all reaing, an especially writing
tasks. Whether it%s an invitation to the heateacher to atten a class assem*ly, an email
to an author or an article for a school newspaper, our chilren know why the +uality of
their writing matters: *ecause there will *e a real auience for their pu*lishe work.
Professional publishing
,ne effective way of valuing chilren%s work as well as proviing a real incentive, is to
plan for a range of ways to pu*lish their writing. -ecent e"amples inclue a whole
school *ookmaking project. Following a whole school $nset on *ook*ining techni+ues,
every class pu*lishe their own share *ook. one e"ample *eing an anthology of short
spooky stories compose *y year /. Their stories were mounte on hanmae paper,
accompanie with each chil%s art work 0lino cut style prints on metallic paper1 with a
ramatic paper cut out front cover. The effort the chilren put into their work was
immense, an the results were stunning as a result. The anthology has *een enjoye *y
parents an other pupils an the chilren%s prie in their work is clear to see.
Meaningful planning
Where possi*le, learning in !nglish is linke with su*jects within the creative
curriculum we follow: the international primary curriculum 0$PC1. Well in avance of
teaching, teachers colla*orate an share their ieas for planning through a min
mapping process. 2eaningful, creative activities are planne for, ensuring that all staff
mem*ers know e"actly what the chilren will *e learning an why.
Focused on strategies
The teaching of reaing is not easy. As chilren%s fluency in reaing increases, it%s har
to know what reaing skills nee to *e taught, an when. We ensure that specific
reaing strategies are moelle e"plicitly to the class. this provies chilren with a
10 creative ways to teach English that deliver outstanding results | Teacher Network | guardian.co.uk http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/feb/14/teaching-english-creatively-outstanding-results
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holistic *ank of skills to raw upon. This coul inclue scanning a te"t, making an
inference, preicting or creating a mental image. ,ur teachers use %think alou%
statements to moel to the chilren how these skills are use, an how they can help
them *ecome *etter reaers. These strategies are then share as a class, an then
assesse in follow up guie reaing activities.
Inspirational learning environment
Take a trip to our school an you%ll fin classroom environments that inspire aults an
chilren alike. 'ot only is the chilren%s work isplaye creatively, *ut there is a range
of learning prompts to inspire an support all pupils. We want to encourage our
chilren to iscover new te"ts, genres an authors, so our reaing areas are inviting,
well resource an highly organise. Pupils can choose from an e"citing array of
reaing material: newspapers, classic te"ts, reference *ooks as well as the chilren%s
own pu*lishe stories are just some e"amples of what *ook corners might offer.
Drama to engage and inspire
The use of rama is such a powerful tool. Taking the lea from our rama specialist, all
teaching staff use a range of techni+ues to promote the e"ploration of characters,
situations an historical events. This process e"pans the pupils% imaginations, an
provies them with the ieas they nee to give their writing that e"tra spark an flair.
Rigorous teaching of spelling and phonics
$n the infants, phonics is streame, so all chilren can *enefit from tailore teaching,
making ma"imum progress as a result. All phonics an spelling activities are fun, multi
sensory an as physical possi*le, the aim *eing to meet all learning styles in the class. $n
the juniors, we try to make homework lists as personalise to the chil as possi*le to
ensure that the spelling patterns stick in a meaningful way.
Grammar concepts taught creatively
3rammar cannot *e taught as a stan alone activity. What%s the point of that# Chilren
*egin to unerstan grammar concepts, an start to apply them in their own writing,
when they start to rea with a writer%s min. Punctuation rules an techni+ues are
rawn from share te"ts. te"ts which the chilren have alreay *een immerse in an
have a goo unerstaning of. !"ploring these, an em*eing them creatively is how
10 creative ways to teach English that deliver outstanding results | Teacher Network | guardian.co.uk http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/feb/14/teaching-english-creatively-outstanding-results
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'e"t Previous
the learning takes place.
Peer and self assessment
What chil oesn%t love marking some*oy else%s work# With a clear marking key,
success criteria an purpose in min, chilren set a*out assessing either their own, or a
partner%s piece of writing. 2oelle through the teacher%s own formative marking,
pupils know what the e"pectations are. They are well traine in searching for successful
e"amples of the learning intention, articulating their responses to the work, checking
the writing matches any targets an giving constructive fee*ack. 4eeing the chilren
learn from each other in this way is hugely positive. you know you%ve one your jo*
well.
Anna Warren is the English subject leader and the year 6 teacher at Holy Trinity and
St Silas School, London.
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