new creative writing in schools - cfey · 2019. 9. 5. · cwis programmes and activities have...
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CreativeWritinginSchoolsExecutiveSummary–February2019..............................................
WillMillard,LoicMenzies,DrSamBaarsandEleanorBernardes
www.lkmco.org @LKMco +44(0)7793370459 [email protected] ©2018
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ExecutiveSummary:CreativeWritinginSchoolsArtsCouncilEnglandcommittedin2015tofundinga£1.2m,three-yearprogrammecalledCreativeWritinginSchools(‘CWiS’).Theprogrammewasdevelopedinresponsetoconcernsaroundaperceivedlackofhigh-qualitycreativewritingopportunitiesforpupilswithinthecurriculum,andthepotentialimpactthatthismighthaveonchildrenandyoungpeople’sculturaleducationintheshort-term,andcreativityinthelongterm.TheprogrammetargetedareasofhighdeprivationandlowartsengagementidentifiedbyArtsCouncilEngland,andinvolvedactivitiesfocusedprimarilyonpupilsbetweeneightand14yearsofage.Theprogrammewasputouttotender,andfundingwasawardedtotwoorganisations:FirstStoryandBathSpaUniversity’sPaperNations.Nearly3,000childrenandyoungpeople,teachersandwritersinover120schoolsacrossEnglandparticipatedinCWiSactivities,duringthe2016/17and2017/18academicyears.ApproximatelyathirdoftheyoungpeopleinvolvedwereeligibleforPupilPremiumfunding.1PaperNationsandFirstStoryappointedtheeducationandyouththink-and-actiontank,LKMco,asanindependentevaluator,andLKMcoinitiallyconductedaliteraturereviewdesignedtoexplorehowschoolsengagewithcreativewriting,andthekeybarrierstothis.2Theliteraturereviewinformedthisevaluation’sdesign,includingitskeyoutcomemeasuresandresearchtools.Asaresult,CWiSactivitiesbyFirstStoryandPaperNationswereevaluatedintermsoftheirimpacton:
• Thesustainabilityofcreativewritinginschools;• Engagementamongpupils,teachersandwriterswith
creativewriting;• Bestpracticeintheteachingofcreativewriting;• Buildingnetworksthatsupportcreativewritinginschools,
and;• Thevaluechildren,youngpeopleandtheirteachersplace
oncreativewriting.CWiSprogrammesandactivitieshaveprovidedcasestudiesofgoodpracticeandresources,andtheevaluationhighlightsbroaderguidingprinciples,toimproveandincreaseaccesstocreativewritinginschoolsinfuture.Summaryofkeyfindings1) Youngpeopleandteachersvaluedwritingforthepleasureitgave,ratherthanforitsbenefitsin
termsofimprovingtechnicalaccuracy(althoughthesewerealsonoted).Thiscontributedtoyoungpeoplefeelingoverwhelminglypositiveaboutcreativewriting,asourcasestudyaboutPaperNations’WritingAmbassadorsprogrammeindicates.
“It’snotaboutbeingrightorwrong,it’sjustaboutpickingupapenandenjoyingtheexperienceandengagingwiththeexperience.”
PaperNationsWritingChampion
1ThesefiguresarebasedupondemographicdataaboutpupilssuppliedbyteachersinCWiSsurveys.2EleanorBernardesandLoicMenzies(2016)CreativeWritinginSchools:LiteratureReview,availablefrom:https://www.lkmco.org/can-develop-creative-writing-schools/
‘Writethreewordsthatdescribeagoodwriter’:youngpeople’sresponsestoCWiSsurveyquestion
(n=895).
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Infuture,thisevaluationrecommendsthatcreativewritingprogrammesforchildrenshouldmirrorPaperNations’andFirstStory’sfocusonideaformulationandexploration,overtechnicalaccuracy.
2) YoungpeoplewritinglessoftenthantheirpeersatthebeginningofCWiSwrotemoreoftenby
theendoftheirinvolvement.
Infutureschoolsshouldproactivelyselectpupilswithlittlepriorinvolvementorinterestincreativewritingforfutureactivitiesandprogrammes(alongsidepupilswithhigherlevelsofpriorinterestandengagement).
3) Creativewritingnetworksplayedavitalroleinbringing
writersandschoolstogether,andhelpingwritersshareknowledge,resourcesandopportunities.Costandtimearethebiggestbarrierstocreativewritingpartnerships.Sotooisalackofcoordinationamongwriters,whichcanmeansomearenotsurewhattheirfinancialvalueis.Thisresultsinwritersworkingfornothing,ortoocheaply,puttingdownwardpressureonmanywriters’wages.
“Nooneknowshowmuchawriterisworth,youknow.Theyreallydon’t.Theydon’tknowwhetherit’sworth£10anhouror£100anhour,andwildlydifferingpaymentsaremade.”
RepresentativefromawritingorganisationNetworkscanhelptackletheseburdensbyofferingschoolsandwriterssupport,resourcesandbrokerage.Theycanhelpwritersshareemploymentandfundingopportunities,andclarifywhatwritersshouldcharge.
Infuture,thisevaluationrecommendsthatcreativewritingnetworksandorganisationsshouldlearnfromFirstStoryandPaperNations’goodpracticeinsupportingclearexpectations(includingaroundpay)betweenwritersandschools,andsharingofteachingresourcestoreducethetimerequiredtoplanactivities.Networksandorganisationsshoulddiscouragewritersfromworkingtoocheaplyorforfree,andraiseawarenessamongwritersabouttheexistingnetworksthatcanofferprofessionalsupport.
4) CWiSprogrammesandactivitieshelpedmanypupilsfeelmore
confidentaswriters,andinlife.Theyfoundworkingwithprofessionalwritersparticularlyvaluable:
“[Thewriter]doesn’tstopusfromdoinganything….She’llletustryit,evenifsheknowsitwon’tworkoutthatwell.…Thenshe’llletuslearnfromourmistakesanddoit[ourselves]butalsobetheretosupportus.”
Youngpersonduringafocusgroup
Teachersalsohighlightedthewaycreativewritingboostedpupils’confidence,bothaswriters,andinschools,asourcasestudyofFirstStory’sWriter-in-Residenceprogrammeshows:
PoemabouttheWriter-in-Residenceworkshops,writtenbyasecondaryschoolpupil
Drawingofawriterbyaprimaryschoolpupil.
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“Thegrouphavecomeonleapsandboundswiththeircreativewritingandhavefoundafantasticoutletfortheiremotionsandideas.”
TeacherinvolvedinFirstStoryInfuture,thisevaluationrecommendsthatprogrammesandactivitiessupportingcreativewritinginschoolsshouldbuildontheelementsofCWiSprogrammesandactivitiesthatyoungpeopleandpractitionersidentifiedasmostvaluable,including:opportunitiestoworkwithprofessionalwriters;afocusonideasgenerationandexploration,and;thecarefulscaffoldingofwrittentasks.
5) Manyteachers’enjoymentofcreativewritingincreasedduringCWiS,andteacherssaidthat
activitieshadincreasedtheirconfidenceaswriters(although,generally,itwasteacherswhofeltinitiallyconfidentteachingcreativewritingthatreportedfeelingmoreconfidentbytheendofaprogrammeoractivity).Teachersandwritersalsofelttheirrepertoireofideasforteachingcreativewritinggrew,andsomewentontoshareideasandpracticewithcolleagues:
“[PaperNations]hasopenedupnetworksofinfluence,andmodelsofpractice,whichI/wecanuse.Ithastaughtmelotsofexcitingactivitiesandmadenewopportunities.”
WriterinvolvedinPaperNationsOrganisationssupportingcreativewritersandcreativewritinginschoolsshouldmakeengagingwithandsupportinglessconfidentteachersandwritersapriorityforfuturework,andenableyoungpeopleandteacherstoparticipateinthecreativewritingside-by-sidewherepossible,focusingonwritingforthesakeofitoverandabovetechnicalaccuracy.
Societyshouldensurethatallyoungpeoplereceivethesupporttheyneedinordertomakeafulfillingtransitiontoadulthood
Thisreportwaswrittenbytheeducationandyouthdevelopment‘thinkandactiontank’LKMco.LKMcoisasocialenterprise-webelievethatsocietyhasadutytoensurechildrenandyoungpeoplereceivethesupporttheyneedinordertomakeafulfillingtransitiontoadulthood.
Weworktowardsthisvisionbyhelpingeducationandyouthorganisationsdevelop,evaluateandimprovetheirworkwithyoungpeople.Wethencarryoutacademicandpolicyresearchandadvocacythatisgroundedinourexperience.
www.lkmco.org.uk/@LKMco/[email protected]
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