Anglian Learning, South East
Anglian Learning Intro Intro
Anglian Learning, as one of the eight lead organisations in the Creativity Collaboratives programme, has led a three-year research project exploring how creativity can be intentionally taught and embedded across school contexts. The work drew on a trust-wide programme of inquiry involving primary, secondary and early-years settings. The outcomes are captured in the teaching for creativity playbook, which offers a practical, evidence-informed account of how creative pedagogy can be applied across phases, subjects and school environments.
The project began in 2021 by exploring inquisitiveness as a key creative habit. Teachers across our schools designed and tested classroom approaches such as ‘wondering and questioning’, ‘mantle of the expert’, and project-based learning. These were trialled in science, English, early years, and more, with a focus on how pupils generate ideas, apply knowledge and collaborate.
As the work developed, we investigated the broader conditions that enable creativity to flourish: pupil autonomy, oracy, deep challenge, and a school culture that values risk-taking and curiosity. We found that creativity can be nurtured when pupils are given time and space to explore, when learning is purposeful, and when teachers model curiosity themselves.
Pupils reported greater engagement, motivation and confidence in their learning. Teachers described increased enjoyment in teaching, deeper professional reflection, and improved outcomes across key skills such as problem-solving and communication.
In our final phase, early years and secondary schools across the Trust embedded creative practices more widely – through curriculum design, professional development, and pupil voice initiatives. One secondary school even redesigned its timetable to support deeper, more creative learning.
Pilot and Legacy phase
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Pilot phase
The three-year pilot began by examining the habit of inquisitiveness, aligning with Bill Lucas’ Creative Habits of Mind. Year one involved small-scale action research, identifying ways inquisitiveness could be stimulated in diverse classrooms. Teachers explored methods such as ‘wondering and questioning’, and discovered that inquisitiveness could be cultivated through knowledge-rich, exploratory learning.
Year two scaled these methods across subjects and phases, trialling pedagogies such as Mantel of the Expert, wicked questions, and project-based learning. Teachers reported greater engagement, resilience and creativity in pupils, while finding renewed professional motivation.
Year three examined enabling conditions – including teacher and pupil dispositions, school ethos, and the learning environment. Collaborative practices and sustained shared thinking became central, and early years settings across the Trust adopted innovative child-led learning strategies. These ranged from curiosity tables to thematic inquiry models and oracy-based scaffolding.
The project culminated in a measurable uplift in engagement, resilience and attainment, particularly among vulnerable groups, while embedding a sustainable culture of creative teaching and learning across the Trust.
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Legacy phase
We are continuing our work with Arts Council England through the legacy phase of Creativity Collaboratives. The legacy phase will: consolidate learning; strengthen evidence of its impact on pupils; enhance the focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion; and develop a well-tested resource bank to support long-term sustainability. The purpose of the legacy phase is to deepen our understanding of the conditions and pedagogies that are effective in teaching for creativity.
At Anglian Learning, we are focusing our research on the impact of teaching for creativity on the outcomes for SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) and PP (pupil premium) pupils, teaching satisfaction and sense of belonging. To achieve this, we have appointed 12 Teaching for Creativity Champions from across Anglian Learning. These teachers will be trialling teaching for creativity in their classrooms and evaluating its impact.
Primary school projects
The primary school projects build on those from CPD and the pilot phase. Notably, three primary schools are working together to further explore the impact of purposeful play on talk and collaboration.
Wimbish Primary Academy: How can purposeful play be designed to extend exploratory talk and collaboration with early years pupils?
The Meadow Primary School: How can purposeful play be designed and deepened to extend exploratory talk and collaboration among young learners?
Bottisham Community Primary School: Does using play projects improve children’s ability to problem-solve and persevere with challenges?
The Pines Primary School: How can cross-curricular strategies that foster choice, independence and inquiry support pupils’ transition from guided exploration in Year 3 to child-led learning in Year 6?
Secondary school projects
Bottisham Village College: How can collaboration increase participation and agency for revision in Year 11 in English?
To what extent do independently constructed gestures help Year 7 pupils to embed the structure of analytical writing in English?
How can we empower pupils to develop the confidence to speak in front of others about their passions, ensuring they understand that their ideas are valuable and worthy of being heard in English?
Linton Village College: How can collaborative strategies be used to empower creative thinking in written response in GCSE drama?
Joyce Frankland Academy, Newport: To what extent can collaboration and exploring be used to increase confidence and resilience in Key Stage 3 drama?
Sawston Village College: How can oracy, collaboration, and debating develop pupil confidence with discussion and developing ideas in GCSE REP?
How can inter-textual approaches be used to encourage pupils to develop and extend their ideas across multiple texts, fostering critical, thoughtful and exploratory thinking in GCSE English?
The Netherhall School: To what extent does inquisitive, playful experimentation in the classroom affect the level of creative risk taking and resilience in Year 10 3D design pupils?