Thurrock Trailblazer Evaluation 2015/16

Integrating activities into the curriculum
“It is important that Thurrock Trailblazer becomes an essential part of the
curriculum and weaved through every area. If Trailblazer was to be used
as a bolt on to the curriculum, with no overall relevance, it would have
very little impact on raising standards… We have learnt that the
Trailblazer projects are more effective when they are linked with the
children’s work in class and topics and run very much as partnerships
with the practitioner. They can be used to enhance and build…
transferrable skills that the children can use across the curriculum.”
Michael Nunn, Deputy Head Teacher, Chadwell St Mary Primary School
Of those surveyed, 71% reported that Trailblazer activities had been
integrated into the curriculum. For many schools, projects with artists
provided a significant proportion of the arts curriculum for selected
groups of pupils. Visits such as those to Historic Royal Palaces formed
the basis of investigative work and themed curriculum plans, often used
to stimulate writing. Visits to theatre performances were most likely to
be treated as a ‘one off’ enriching experience. Examples of integrated
activity include:
• Designer Natalie Ryde working with pupils to improve numeracy
skills.
• Theatre Royal Stratford East working with the whole school to
engage children and parents with reading.
• A visit to Historic Royal Palaces as the starting point for creative work
within a Key Stage 3 personal development curriculum.
• Film-maker and photographer, Hope Fitzgerald, working with primary
school pupils making films about the life cycle of plants.
How are Cultural Champions engaging with their schools?
There are a number of schools who place a premium on arts and cultural
provision, recognising the wide ranging impact on school ethos,
attainment and well-being. Here, Cultural Champions are encouraged by
senior managers to lead reflection and debate about teaching and
learning. Trailblazer is firmly embedded in school development plans. In
other schools the potential for the arts is yet to be fully explored. In these
schools the Cultural Champion is often an isolated voice, with the arts
marginalised.
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