Testing the 'C' boundary

In a daily routine of emails and meetings it was a pleasure to join art teachers and just talk about teaching art and students: like the yr 10 student whose sole expectations from life were "make up, a baby and love" probably in that order.

We met to review and share work at the boundary of GCSE 'C' and 'D'. There were ten teachers from four schools. In the event all schools entered for Edexcel examinations and so we were unable to compare results from different exam boards. Encouragingly we found that there was consistency in the samples from these four schools. The 'D's and 'C's did correspond and it was possible to discern a consistent order of merit across the schools. It was interesting to note the defining difference between C and D grades. It seemed to be, not so much in technical expertise or formal fluency but in the intellectual curiousity and maturity of the student. Work at a D grade seemed to be shallower and monochromatic in scope whereas work at a C grade suggested a narrative which was deeper and richer.

We noted that during recent Edexcel training teachers were told to ignore changes to specifications and in effect carry on as they had always done. In addition there was some agreement that, this year, moderators were encouraging teachers not to emphasise the absolute need for writing and to accept that visual analysis and reflection could demonstrate critical evaluation and understanding.

We noted that the similarities were far more obvious than the differences between schools. Characteristics of all work were: brainstorming, open ended experimentation in sketchbooks, references to several artists and consequent stylistic experiments, use of photographic references and the internet. Often the final piece was the weakest and the preparation seemed to contain many hours of work. This prompted a discussion about the possibility of students spending a disproportionate amount of time working and reworking development pages in their journals rather than spending time creating successfully realised works of art.

Many students had worked from figures with varying degrees of success. I mentioned a website I had seen earlier in the day featuring the work of the dance company Philobulous. A short brilliant piece by two dancers creating an extraordinary sequence of shapes and combinations using just two bodies. Certainly worth looking at for ideas about the use of figures.

Finally one really good idea a teacher's small assessment note attached to work with a paper clip which contained comments - 'A good thing is...', Could be better if...', Relevant to Assessment Objective AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4'. Thanks to Kirsty for that. And to the teachers of Sir William Ramsay Arts College, Holmer Green School, Amersham School and Chalfonts Community College.

Old Advisers

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.

Coughs and sneezes

In the last month or so we have been working with the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the Primary Care Trust (PCT) to monitor and support schools in the face of the swine flu pandemic. Intially it was treated according to the plans prepared earlier which assumed a more serious illness than the one that we actually seem to have. It is, in most cases, slightly milder than seasonal flu. It currently seems unlikely that the illness will cause serious concerns for most of us but it may be the case that continuity in education could be a problem through spasmodic bouts of pupil and staff absence through autumn and winter.
In the circumstances it may be sensible to give some thought to how education could be sustained if the curriculum becomes disrupted. So I have begun to set out some ideas on the Bucks Grid for Learning. I have also opened up a collaborative page (called a wiki if anyone is interested) so art teachers could share ideas and comments. You will need to logon to Bucksgfl using your username and password to contribute - although anyone should be able to read it. It can be used by primary and secondary teachers and I rather like the idea of cross phase co-operation. In truth I set up the wiki because I am intrigued at the opportunity to work together in the face of a common issue using this simple technology. So swine flu is not a dire emergency to be solved but an excuse to try something out. Do have a look and contribute if you can.

Parking

Saw this in a school last week. Hierarchies alive and well.

Gifted and Talented

Earlier this term I wrote about two 6th form students who were clearly gifted and whose choice of career seemed almost predetermined by their natural ability. They were going to follow degree courses in architecture and stage design.

Today in Turnfurlong Infants School I found a third pupil who displayed extraordinary talent. This time she is six years old. Her ceramic rat is extraordinary. The shape of the muzzle, eye sockets and flattened forehead shows an ability to understand and model form with a maturity and mastery which is way beyond her age. I was able to talk to Leah and to confirm that it was her own work and that she worked from a picture. It is true that her grandmother is a potter and her father an architect but the modelling is her own and she described how she constructed it over a paper and bubble wrap body which burned off in the kiln - six years old.

To conclude this post it is interesting to note this other small ceramic sculture. This time from a sixth form student at the Royal Grammar School. He had made a set of small nudes all developed from an extruded clay tube. It makes a nice counterpoint.

On Display

Coming in to work this morning through Aylesbury shopping centre it was good to see a set of large panels from the Cottesloe School. They are from Year 9 students and follow study of Japanese art including Manga. Really impressive well done Cottesloe art department.

Cross Fertilisation.

I saw this work in Haddenham Junior School a couple of weeks ago. Its based on Clarice Cliffe and pupils had to design the shape and the decoration.

It was interesting to note the cross-over of practice from secondary to primary phase, because I first saw this exercise in Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School five years earlier. Here it was by 6th form students. It is not uncommon to see ideas for work being passed around secondary schools but it is quite unusual to see ideas cross phases in this way.