Creative schools recognised

The 30 most creative schools in the UK have been selected by a panel of experts, which may interest those considering teaching jobs.

Schools which had achieved the most in raising creative standards over the past five years were chosen from hundreds involved in the £110-million Creative Partnerships scheme, an Arts Council-managed government programme to encourage arts activities in education.

Andrew Adonis, school standards minister, commented: "These schools have shown what can be achieved with a creative approach to learning.

"Every one of these 30 schools has seen improvements because of their willingness to take risks and be bold in the way they engage their student's aspirations."

The 'Schools of Creativity' will now enrol on a £2-million, three-year programme to further increase their standards by working with professional artists, designers and creative professionals.

Cutting-edge teaching techniques will be used to develop the pupil's creative skills and equip them for employment.

Margaret Hodge, culture minister, described Creative Partnerships as a "real success" and said that there were benefits for everyone involved in the scheme.

A recent event, Creative Partnerships worked with art students from Thomas Rotherham College in South Yorkshire to improve their fashion design skills.

The students were tasked with designing t-shirts for a specified audience, with the winning design to be sold through the Rotherham Ready website.