Last night I was at a party in Greenwich overlooking the river and the ill fated dome - which was illuminated against the fading twilight and ofset by a flock of small hot air ballon/lanterns floating away towards deptford. But the point of this is about the comment made by Andrew (art adviser Newham) that he was the last art adviser left in London. We old advisers talked of the now almost complete disappearance of art advisers as a class. Julia (retired) felt that subjects were being undermined and diluted.
But I dont think this is true. Looking at the exhibitions this year shows that art education is vibrant and improving. It also seems to me that innovative new ideas are moving round the system and we continue to develop, evolve and learn from each other. It seems to me that subject development is alive and that teachers are supported in many ways. There is now much more advice support and professional development about improving teaching - its just that it is now generic, whole school and consistent across all subjects.
Recently I was able to observe groups of teachers on a course led by the head of one of our schools designed to move teachers and teaching to become outstanding. There were teachers from two other schools there. They worked in threes and came from different subject bases. The whole point was to share, research and develop a new repertoire drawn from the different subject experience of all of these teachers. The sharing and blending of approaches from different subject backgrounds was at the heart of this exciting programme. Nowadays many schools have set up similar teaching development groups engaged in what is action research and professional development.
Other programmes developed by the National Strategies provide really good advice and support for subject leadership, Assessment for Learning, for instance. All of these provide good support for art teaching - strengthened by the fact that it draws upon the wider repertoire of all subjects to move practice forward. So the old notions of subject development managed primarily through subject silos is no longer the norm but I dont think it means that the subject is not being developed. One of the key causes of weakness in schools cited by Ofsted is the lack of in-school consistency, and schools everywhere are being encouraged to bring all teaching up to the standards of the best.
So the first point of this summer rant is that the demise of subject advisers and possibly the demise of subject focussed professional development does not mean that the subject is not being developed and there is evidence that teachers' pedagogy is being extended and enriched by very strong generic programmes delivering consistency across subjects in a school.
There are other important factors at work though. We all learn best from our peers and without doubt some of the best support for secondary art in bucks has come from the work of ASTs. This work done by a practising art teacher working with and alongside art teachers in other schools has been excellent. I have seen departments which have made significant improvements and who now have a self confidence in their own practice which is enabling them to take control of their own development. Again nothing to do with subject experts giving advice - just teachers working together.
Some really exciting work in Bucks can be seen at Chalfonts Community College where significantly innovative practice is being developed and shared. Again the point is that it is actually happening in classrooms and when it is talked about, for instance at national conferences, it is the teacher who presents.
There are other significant sources of very real and significant support available to art teachers. The Diploma's and the Change Schools programme of Creative Partnerships provide opportunities for art teachers to work alongside designers, craftspeople and artists; developing their own thinking, repertoire and creativity.
So I dont agree that the demise of the 'subject expert/adviser' represents the demise of subject support or development - it seems to be stronger than ever. But the changed emphasis towards school focused development rather than subject focused support leaves a danger of losing sense of community and the local network of local friends, colleagues fellow art teachers. So join NSEAD and find ways to stay in touch with other local art teachers wherever possible.
But I dont think this is true. Looking at the exhibitions this year shows that art education is vibrant and improving. It also seems to me that innovative new ideas are moving round the system and we continue to develop, evolve and learn from each other. It seems to me that subject development is alive and that teachers are supported in many ways. There is now much more advice support and professional development about improving teaching - its just that it is now generic, whole school and consistent across all subjects.
Recently I was able to observe groups of teachers on a course led by the head of one of our schools designed to move teachers and teaching to become outstanding. There were teachers from two other schools there. They worked in threes and came from different subject bases. The whole point was to share, research and develop a new repertoire drawn from the different subject experience of all of these teachers. The sharing and blending of approaches from different subject backgrounds was at the heart of this exciting programme. Nowadays many schools have set up similar teaching development groups engaged in what is action research and professional development.
Other programmes developed by the National Strategies provide really good advice and support for subject leadership, Assessment for Learning, for instance. All of these provide good support for art teaching - strengthened by the fact that it draws upon the wider repertoire of all subjects to move practice forward. So the old notions of subject development managed primarily through subject silos is no longer the norm but I dont think it means that the subject is not being developed. One of the key causes of weakness in schools cited by Ofsted is the lack of in-school consistency, and schools everywhere are being encouraged to bring all teaching up to the standards of the best.
So the first point of this summer rant is that the demise of subject advisers and possibly the demise of subject focussed professional development does not mean that the subject is not being developed and there is evidence that teachers' pedagogy is being extended and enriched by very strong generic programmes delivering consistency across subjects in a school.
There are other important factors at work though. We all learn best from our peers and without doubt some of the best support for secondary art in bucks has come from the work of ASTs. This work done by a practising art teacher working with and alongside art teachers in other schools has been excellent. I have seen departments which have made significant improvements and who now have a self confidence in their own practice which is enabling them to take control of their own development. Again nothing to do with subject experts giving advice - just teachers working together.
Some really exciting work in Bucks can be seen at Chalfonts Community College where significantly innovative practice is being developed and shared. Again the point is that it is actually happening in classrooms and when it is talked about, for instance at national conferences, it is the teacher who presents.
There are other significant sources of very real and significant support available to art teachers. The Diploma's and the Change Schools programme of Creative Partnerships provide opportunities for art teachers to work alongside designers, craftspeople and artists; developing their own thinking, repertoire and creativity.
So I dont agree that the demise of the 'subject expert/adviser' represents the demise of subject support or development - it seems to be stronger than ever. But the changed emphasis towards school focused development rather than subject focused support leaves a danger of losing sense of community and the local network of local friends, colleagues fellow art teachers. So join NSEAD and find ways to stay in touch with other local art teachers wherever possible.
