Thurrock Trailblazer Evaluation 2015/16

The programme
Thurrock Trailblazer is an innovative programme of high quality arts and
cultural activities, visits to heritage sites and specialist teacher training,
that boosts creative learning in schools and accelerates pupils’
development. 28 schools have participated this year - 19 primary schools,
seven secondary and two special educational needs schools. This is an
increase on 21 schools during the first pathfinder year. Pupils have taken
part in 110 activities, working with artists, practitioners and educational
specialists from 21 arts and cultural organisations. Cultural Champions
from each school have benefitted from leadership training as well as
professional and administrative support from the Thurrock Learning &
Participation team.
This year 8799 Thurrock pupils have taken part in Trailblazer. Examples of
the kind of activity include the National Nutcracker and Design Challenge
(part of Royal Opera House’s flagship school programmes). They have
worked in their schools with professional dancers, singers, actors,
designers, photographers and film-makers. Visits to theatres and historic
buildings have inspired learning across the curriculum. Pupils took part in
community arts events and Inspiration Days at High House Production
Park, learning behind the scenes stage crafts. 190 teachers have
developed new skills and been inspired by a varied, high quality CPD
programme.
Throughout the year, schools have given feedback on the quality of the
programme and the influence that it was having within their setting. They
have been encouraged to think about impact and reflective pedagogy. An
‘action research’ approach was developed with the schools, resulting in a
range of case studies, providing a dynamic illustration of the impact of the
programme in Thurrock schools.
Schools place high value on Thurrock Trailblazer and the relationship that
they have with the Royal Opera House. They feel that the programme
offers them direct access to world class arts and cultural organisations,
curated and quality assured by the Thurrock team. The arts CPD
programme is the only specialist training that these schools are accessing
(reflecting a national decline in CPD for the arts) 1 . The focus on the
Cultural Champions has provided a unique professional development
opportunity for Thurrock teachers, which has led a number of them to
promotion within their schools.
1 NSEAD. (Date Accessed: 11/10/2016). The National Society for Education in Art and Design Survey Report
2015/16, p32 http://www.nsead.org/downloads/survey.pdf
6