How teaching and the curriculum develops creative skills
Quick links:
Information about the school
Ysgol Maes y Coed is a maintained special school for pupils aged 3-19 with additional learning needs. It has 121 pupils on roll who travel from across Neath Port Talbot local authority and present with complex needs.
Context and background to the effective or innovative practice
Maes Y Coed was a Pioneer School for Expressive arts, firstly as part of a four-school cluster, then later as an individual school. The teacher responsible was also Arts Champion as part of the Lead Creative Schools project. Arts Champions were responsive to individual or clusters of school needs and then delivered bespoke training for them.
Maes y Coed has always had a strong focus on the expressive arts curriculum as its dynamic nature engages, motivates, and encourages the school’s pupils. By engaging with expressive arts, pupils have actively explored their own culture, the differences within their locality and the history of the local area.
The expressive arts are accessible to all pupils and are, as such, fully inclusive. They enthuse pupils and expand their horizons, developing their creative, imaginative, and practical skills whilst also developing their resilience and curiosity.
Pupil voice is an integral part of the ethos of Ysgol Maes y Coed. The choir was formed by the pupils for the pupils, the school’s music festivals and theatre trips also derive from pupil voice.
Description of nature of strategy or activity
The school’s expressive arts lead teacher designs and delivers bespoke training for all staff. Training is tailor-made to represent the school’s individual needs. Training aims to challenge staff perceptions and to remove barriers to learning. Training delivered includes creativity, integral skills, high impact low-cost arts day, and using Garage Band. Staff are encouraged to explore various art techniques and apply these to planning engaging lessons for pupils.
Musical experiences for pupils include school music festivals where rock bands, acoustic musicians, local schools’ orchestras, and choirs are invited to perform on different stages, the school’s very own version of Glastonbury! In addition, pupils experience samba workshops, harpists, bands, guitarists, brass bands, and choir performances. Pupils have performed at the Wales Millennium Centre, opened at a Childrens’ Commissioner for Wales event at the All Nations Centre in Cardiff and performed with the cast of Les Misérables in the Queen`s Theatre London. Pupils have featured in musicals including ‘Pride Rock’, which was written by pupils. In addition, they selected the music, produced the costumes and scenery, and provided animations for the stampede scene. With support from staff and a dance student from Bristol University, pupils choreographed the dance routines. All senior school pupils took part as performers, filmmakers, or as part of the backstage crew.
In the summer term of 2022, new musical instruments were provided by Neath Port Talbot Music Services. Instruments have been used well in the classes, with all classes having their own set of boom whackers so pupils can start looking at musical notation (using the colours), coloured hand bells and glockenspiels. In addition, the school has untuned percussion, a samba set and an orchestrated sound beam. This has made music composition accessible for all pupils.
What impact has this work had on provision and pupils’ standards?
Pupils are highly engaged and motivated by the variety of practitioners who have visited the school. Specific music skills have been taught and used and pupils are making good progress in this area. A few can read musical notation and play musical instruments with confidence. Staff are more confident in teaching music across the school, and this has resulted in more music being taught and used effectively in other areas of learning and experience.
Pupils’ art skills are developed consistently, and pupils decide on the direction of their learning. Teaching considers Welsh artists as a starting point as well as using different art forms. Expressive arts training has also helped to contribute to staff well-being and morale as demonstrated in staff feedback following training events.
The school has shared its work in a video for the Welsh Government to discuss the impact of its creative curriculum.
How have you shared your good practice?
The school’s curriculum lead has delivered training for schools within the local authority on creativity and music as part of her role as arts champion. Furthermore, the curriculum lead was invited to speak on a panel representing the Arts Council of Wales during an all-Wales conference. The school’s curriculum lead has also delivered sessions at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s and at Cardiff Metropolitan University, regarding expressive arts and additional learning needs. She has also taken part in a podcast on education and has hosted chats for Network Ed on X (formerly Twitter). The school has beneficial links with other special schools, resource units, and mainstream schools within the locality and nationally.
The school has shared its heritage projects with other local schools. Jeremy Miles AS has visited the school as part of his role as Minister for Education, to look at the music provision and how music is taught at Maes y Coed.