Best Practice

Case study: Arts, creativity and the curriculum

Headteacher Michael Schumm speaks to Amanda Hall-Davis about the innovative curriculum at his school and its basis in creativity and the arts

The question of what makes a successful school is one that has been long asked. St Stephen’s CE Primary School in west London is in the top five per cent of primary schools in terms of attainment and is rated outstanding by Ofsted. A key part of this success has been a focus on creativity and the arts.

Headteacher Michael Schumm explained: “The curriculum at St Stephen’s is a really creative curriculum. In the ethos of St Stephen’s, every child is good at something, so it is really important to have a rich and diverse curriculum.

“By fostering creative skills, be it in visual arts, music, dance or drama, we allow children to build greater confidence in their abilities, both as individual learners and as a performers. If you have a rich curriculum where they all feel valued and they all have an opportunity to excel in different areas, it gives them the confidence to spread it over the rest of the curriculum.

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