Creative Solutions - Secondary Schools

Ounsdale Oscars - Ounsdale School, Wolverhampton

Students were given master classes in all aspects of film production which enable them to go on and create this gripping film drama. Shot mainly on location in a working A&E department, all participants from actors to the director had a truly amazing experience of what it's like to produce a film. David has been asked to come back and work with the school for a second year. "…staff, students, school and partners involved in this work recognise the sheer brilliance of David as a practitioner…It is the best example of a creative process that I have encountered to date." -Sharon Ayres, Education Consultant/Practitioner

Lyndon school and humanities college

Pupils were given the opportunity to work with a broad range of sculptural, digital, interactive and creative practices to create a series of permanent artworks that would reflect the schools humanities status, as well as making students and staff proud of the environment. This has been a highly successful project, with pupils creating outstanding permanent artworks including a life size WW1 trench in the school grounds, the 'Humanities Hands' a series of huge metal and perspex hands etched and engraved with text and images, and they are now directly influencing school policy and practice by developing the schools Virtual learning Platform and Action for Learning.

Cardinal Wiseman

This partnership began with Jacqui working with the English Department to look at creative means of enhancing the curriculum, and has developed as Jacqui has helped introduce a range of pupil led iniatives, including Arts Award and pupil led display throughout the school (DART - Display Action Research Team).

Conflict and Co-operation - Foxford School

Following the success of Ultimate Questions (see below), this project explored creative means of teaching the humanities curriculum. The whole Year 10 group worked with Creative Solutions to research this GCSE unit, including developing questionnaires and recording interviews with a range of sources. These were then developed into a script, which have been filmed and edited with found footage to produce a broadcast quality DVD to be used in the classroom.

Talking Rubbish Two - Blue Coat School

This project worked with Year 7 pupils to explore waste management on a local and national level, and to look at creative means to encourage their peers to recycle. The project has resulted in a DVD and an interactive sculptural bin made out of recycled materials.

Motivational Environment - Lyng Hall School

A research project working with Year 9 pupils to look at ways to improve school environment. This led to the development of a detailed proposal for an outdoor classroom, as well as creating a book of research outcomes and a mosaic artwork for the playground.

Stadium City - Stoke City FC

Creative Solutions were commissioned to create three short films with secondary school pupils. The BBC later broadcast these locally. The CP co-ordinator at the school wrote in his evaluation 'I have taught for over twenty years and this project is by far the most successful in terms of pupil enrichment that I have ever been involved in'.

Ultimate Questions – Foxford School Coventry

Public Art Commission for Foxford School. Commissioned by the Humanities department, this public artwork has been described as a 'living' artwork, as being both a beautiful artwork in its own right, and a learning tool utilised by the whole department. A full consultation with the teachers, pupils, maintenance staff and parents was delivered by Year 8 pupils, which decided on both form and content for the artwork(s). These include a series of small works on glass by the pupils and teachers themselves in addition to a large scale sandblasted artwork-incorporating lens behind which the ‘answers’ to the questions can be found. The project has attracted considerable interest and is considered by QCA as an example of good practice.