Purpose of the report

For this report HMI looked in detail at a small sample of some of the lowest-attaining primary and secondary schools in the country, schools which, despite low attainment in many areas of the curriculum, are achieving above national expectations for one or more of the arts subjects.

For the purpose of this inspection, arts subjects include music, art, dance and drama. HMI sought to establish:

· the elements that make for good teaching and the achievement of high standards in the arts, and what is distinctive about arts teaching

· if pupils have particular kinds of learning experiences in arts subjects or express a preference for specific learning styles. They looked at how pupils felt about the arts in comparison with other subjects.

This is a report with a limited focus and on a small scale. It looks especially at work of good quality in the arts and what use can be made of this more widely, for generally low-achieving pupils in particular. The direct evidence refers to a small number of schools and pupils and these should not be thought necessarily representative of the picture of education nationally. Good practice exists in all areas of the curriculum, of course: a focus on the arts does not, by implication, belittle the quality of work in other subjects.

Main findings

· In many secondary schools with low proportions of pupils gaining 5 or more A*–C grades at GCSE, arts subjects show some particularly encouraging results, sometimes enabling pupils to achieve greater success than they have in other aspects of the curriculum.

· In Ofsted inspections, the learning and attainment grades for the arts subjects are often higher than those in English, mathematics and science, even in schools where standards are generally low.

· While these findings confirm that many primary and secondary pupils in disadvantaged areas are achieving more success in the arts than in the core curriculum, their learning in the arts subjects is not always systematically reinforced or extended in the rest of the curriculum.

· In schools achieving higher standards in one or more of the arts, there is a well-established school or departmental commitment to the arts, which communicates high expectations to new staff and pupils joining the school. In primary schools, this positive tradition often extends to the whole school.

· Behaviour in arts lessons can be better than in many other lessons in secondary schools. Although behaviour is less of an issue in primary schools, teachers’ concerns about control can inhibit the range of arts activities offered to children, especially in dance and drama.

· The most effective primary and secondary teachers have a clear idea of content and progression in arts subjects. Many make good use of Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) subject guidelines, develop their own, or use local education authority (LEA) schemes of work that show clear progression in the skills that are to be learned. In the best secondary schools, particular attention has been given to the Key Stage 3 schemes of work. Common weaknesses identified were the use of information and communication technology (ICT) at Key Stage 3 and subject-specific vocabulary in primary schools in dance and drama.

· In the best lessons, teachers quickly engage pupils in challenging, subject-specific, practical work. Technical vocabulary is acquired and used frequently in arts lessons for pupils of all ages.

· A high proportion of arts teachers are practising artists and performers who regularly model skills and techniques to the pupils.

· Arts teachers in secondary schools develop strong working relationships with pupils; these are often perceived by them as more supportive than in some other subjects. The arts can provide more opportunities for pupils to receive positive feedback about their contributions from both teachers and their peers. This has a strong motivating influence on their subsequent work.

· Pupils in primary and secondary schools often talk positively about the specific styles of teaching and learning and activities undertaken within the arts, comparing them favourably with their experience elsewhere.

· Opportunities to work with professional artists in residence or to visit galleries and performances can have a profound influence on pupils, providing them with additional ideas and strategies to develop their own work. Such experiences have a positive impact on raising pupils’ levels of motivation, aspiration and achievement.

· All schools achieving well in the arts offered a good range of purposeful extra-curricular activities in the arts; a high proportion led towards a high-quality presentation.

· Good quality arts provision was more often driven by the headteacher in primary schools and the individual head of department in secondary schools.

The arts in schools in disadvantaged areas

An international perspective

In December 1995 the Council of Europe conducted a survey into arts education in Europe. Twenty-two member states responded to an initial questionnaire. The survey found that:

‘in all national education systems, there is a positive emphasis on academic education and attainment which continues, in many cases, to be seen as antipathetic to the abilities and sensibilities promoted by the arts. Moreover, the dominant model of intellectual growth continues to be based on assumed polarities between the arts and sciences. Consequently, access to arts teaching is often restricted to those children who are either thought to have particular talent in these areas or, just as commonly, to those whose parents can afford to pay for extra tuition. Despite the rhetoric, the arts are not normally seen as priorities in the long-term development of national educational systems’.[i]

The arts have been used to positive effect in many areas of social disadvantage in this country and around the world. There is evidence to show that art can enable individuals and groups to become more employable, more involved, more confident and more active in contributing to the development of their local communities.[ii]

The arts can be important in regenerating local communities:

‘They can perform similar functions within local communities as they can within a school community: increasing the individual’s personal development by helping their confidence, skills and motivation; assist in social development, as participants can make new friends and become interested in new topics; improve the local image with people feeling more positive about where they live; and help participants feel better and healthier from their involvement in arts projects.’[iii]

The evidence concerning the influence of arts participation on academic achievement in terms of measurable outcomes of better scores in non-arts subjects is inconclusive. The results of a three-year study that explored arts education in secondary schools in England and Wales found no evidence that arts participation boosted academic achievement in other subjects as measured by examination results at GCSE.[iv] However, the study did establish that pupils studying music, art, dance and drama received benefits, including:

· heightened enjoyment, excitement, fulfilment and release of tensions

· an increase in skill and knowledge associated with particular art forms

· enhanced knowledge of social and cultural issues

· advances in personal and social development

· development of creativity and thinking skills

· enrichment of communication and expressive skills.

The study also maintained that many of the effects such as improved self-esteem, and personal and social development, are ‘highly pertinent to the task of tackling disaffection and social exclusion amongst young people’.