How do students benefit from SHAPE-based learning?
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How do students benefit from SHAPE-based learning?
Having taken part in the initial SHAPE in Schools pilot project, Anne Dunkerley, Head of Drama at Guiseley School in West Yorkshire, UK, shares the importance of the arts for students and society, and the benefits of SHAPE-based learning.
Why are the arts important for students and society?
I’m always telling my students that the arts are what make us human – they are part of our cultural heritage. The arts aren’t just for entertainment, they’re a powerful tool to help us express ourselves and understand the world around us.
Studying the arts allows students to explore traditions and develop a huge range of transferrable skills, including creativity, empathy, teamwork and coordination. Participating in the arts brings so many benefits for students.
The arts sector is one of the UK’s biggest industries, contributing more to the country’s gross domestic product (GPD) than telecommunications. However, while students often think of the arts as ‘nice’ or ‘fun’ to study at school, they rarely see them as leading to valuable careers. So I ask them, “Have you read a book, watched a film or listened to a podcast? Are you wearing clothes?” When they reply “Of course!”, I point out that these are all part of ‘the arts’. The arts are so important for society on many different levels.
Why is drama often considered less important than other subjects?
When the English national curriculum was designed in 1988, art and music were designated as ‘foundation subjects’, but drama wasn’t included in the curriculum at all. This means there is no requirement for schools to teach drama. It is only taught as a subject if the school’s senior leadership team values the arts. As drama teachers, we work incredibly hard to promote drama and prove its worth.
Why were you keen to get involved with SHAPE in Schools?
When I heard about SHAPE (Social sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy), I was struck by the ‘for people and the economy’ aspect. I like the fact that SHAPE promotes the arts as worthwhile subjects and careers to pursue. I also appreciate how SHAPE places the arts as equal to other subjects and focuses on the connections between all subjects. I thought it would be exciting to get involved with the SHAPE in Schools project.
As a drama teacher, how did you approach the object-based learning SHAPE activities?
When we did the SHAPE in Schools workshop focused on shoes, my colleague and I raided our wardrobes and brought in a whole collection of different shoes. The students tried them on and created characters of the people who might wear the different types of shoes. My red high heels were the most popular by far! This activity sparked discussions about how culture influences shoes, why different shoes are designed for different climates and terrains, and the impacts of shoe poverty.
In the train workshop, we discussed what trains meant to us. I began by explaining how I grew up in Hull, and whenever I got the train home from university, passing under the Humber Bridge meant I was nearly home. The students particularly enjoyed this workshop as many of them travel to school by train, so it was a topic they could relate to, and they enjoyed exploring the use of trains in films. But as well as talking about their personal connection to that particular ‘train smell’, we also had discussions about the role of the railways in the colonisation of Africa, with students drawing on their knowledge of geography and history.
We used the SHAPE in Schools sugar resources as the starting point for last year’s Year 7 cross-curricular arts project. After examining images related to sugar, students explored different ways to think about this everyday item. For example, the photo of fizzy drinks sparked conversations about diabetes, while the image of traditional Arabian sweets led to talk of cultural treats.
One of my drama classes was interested in the historical role of slavery in the sugar trade. They created a narrative performance to shed light on life on a sugar cane plantation. Another class created a hilarious play about a Willy-Wonka-style toothpaste factory. Dr Pepper wanted to sell more toothpaste, so he put sugar in it to make it addictive. But this meant the tooth fairies were getting poor quality teeth, so they descended on the factory and the head tooth fairy, King Colgate, had a boxing match with Dr Pepper, then banished him from the factory and the fairies took over. It was mad and so much fun – honestly, I can’t believe this is my job!
On the last day of term, each class performed in front of the whole year group. Students had also created sugar-inspired artwork, so the room was decorated with giant papier-mâché doughnuts. And they had composed sugar-inspired musical pieces, which we listened to between performances. Not only was this a fantastic celebration of the arts, but it was amazing to see how, with the same starting point of sugar, everyone had produced something unique.
What are the benefits of SHAPE-based learning?
Students often consider each subject in isolation and struggle to make links between what they learn in different classes. I think the best thing about SHAPE is that it helps students make those connections between different subjects, which makes lessons more relevant and interesting.
For example, when I’m teaching a set text in drama, the social, cultural, historical and political contexts are all important for understanding the play. What was happening at the time the play was written? What is the writer trying to tell their audience? My A-level class study Antigone, which Sophocles wrote over 2000 years ago to send a message about democracy, power and corruption – ideas that are still very relevant today.
The beauty of object-based learning is that it takes common objects that we take for granted and encourages students to consider them in new ways. Shoes are so much more than just what you wear on your feet, and trains are more than a mode of transport.
What did your students think of the SHAPE in Schools project?
Students loved the fact that with the SHAPE in Schools activities, they were learning for the joy of learning, not because they had to learn something for a test. They also enjoyed looking at everyday things from different angles and appreciated the fact that they could draw on knowledge from different aspects of their lives to discuss them.
One student commented how, when you study something like maths or science, you have to be really knowledgeable in the subject matter before you can be creative. However, in the arts, you can be creative right from the beginning. You don’t need in-depth subject knowledge to be creative. I thought this was a profound response, and I realised that the SHAPE in Schools workshops had triggered a deeper appreciation of the arts.
Why would you encourage other teachers to get involved with SHAPE in Schools?
The great thing about the SHAPE in Schools resources is that they act as a springboard for developing and enhancing your existing curriculum. You can personalise the materials however you want to tailor them to your subject. For example, in addition to using the PowerPoint presentations and quizzes provided, I ‘drama-fied’ the workshops by encouraging students to create drama pieces inspired by the topics. I think the beauty of the resources is that any teacher can use them, whatever their classroom looks like and whatever subject they teach.
Meet Anne
I’m a dancer by trade. While studying for a dance degree at university, I did a lot of community dance work with schools and youth groups which I really enjoyed, so I decided to train as a teacher.
In 2017, Guiseley School was one of only twelve schools in the UK to be awarded an Artsmark Platinum Award. It was reaccredited in 2022, as the only Platinum secondary school in West Yorkshire. Artsmark is an accreditation from the Arts Council England that recognises the quality of arts education in schools.
Artsmark schools don’t just have the arts in their curriculum, they are embedded in the culture of the school. At Guiseley, as well as offering a range of arts subjects, there’s a whole smorgasbord of arts-based extra-curricular activities. It’s not just about big school productions (although we love these – our last end-of-year summer performance was High School Musical). Last year, the gardening club worked with the art department to decorate ceramic plant pots, then used some of the vegetables they’d grown to create dyes to tie-dye fabric. We also do lots of art-based community work, from organising art events in local primary schools to performing concerts and poetry readings in care homes. Artsmark celebrates all this success.
I’m passionate about the arts in schools. The arts aren’t an extra add-on or just for the elite – they are an entitlement for every single child. Our Artsmark Platinum Award recognises the work we do at Guiseley to promote the arts for everyone.
A student once described me as ‘the most bonkers teacher he’d ever had’! I took that as a compliment! I’d like to think my students also see my passion for my subject – I’m a big believer that drama is for everyone.
I’m currently doing a part time master’s in education. For my assignment about ethical issues in education, I chose to write about drama not being a national curriculum subject – a topic I feel strongly about.
When I’m not teaching or studying, I love baking, gardening and watching rubbish shows on TV. I also love books – I could read for hours and hours. And I’m a big fan of rugby league.
Do you have a question for Anne?
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