Creativity and Innovation can be seen in a number
of ways – the generation of ideas and concepts,
making things or even taking a new approach to teaching
and learning.
It is about being imaginative – thinking ‘outside
the box’ – looking for solutions, solving
problems, inventing new ideas. And then imagining
that something ‘extra’ which will be
the spark for innovation or improvement.
Teachers have a key role to play here, providing
creative learning opportunities which fire the imagination
of children and create that spark.
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Blackburn Primary teacher Paul Swift knows first
hand the importance of being creative and enterprising.
For many years he supported his young family by supplementing
his teaching income by selling baked potatoes to
late night clubbers. At school he is passionate about
instilling a similar sense of resourcefulness and
imagination to his pupils. He said: “Life can
be an obstacle course and you’ve got to have
the energy and creativity to get around it. There
will be lots of times when it seems like there is
something in your way – money, jobs, people,
time – but if you are creative you can always
think of a way around it.”
Paul applies this philosophy to his teaching too – and
is always looking for imaginative ways to deliver
the curriculum in a way that will engage the children.
It was out of this that the Contemporary Science
Day evolved. The event is run as a partnership between
several local comprehensive schools, Sheffield Hallam
University and Blackburn Primary School. The idea
was to deliver a day of science in a fun, engaging
way which would make an impact on the pupils. But
the day was almost felled at the first hurdle, when
potential venues quoted astronomical prices to host
the children. Paul said: “We were looking at
between £900 and £2,000 pounds, which
would have put it beyond our reach. Things were looking
bleak, but we had the idea of asking the people at
Liquid and Diva, and went and knocked on their door
to see what they thought.”
Liquid and Diva agreed to open their doors to the
schools for free, which meant the day got the green
light and got everyone thinking about how to use
the venue to the best advantage.
The team decided to use the venue as the theme for their activities,
posing questions around what happens at a nightclub to stimulate
some scientific investigations. Problems like ‘How can
sound be turned into light?’, ‘What happens to our
bodies when we dance?’ and ‘How does alcohol effect
you?’ were all explored.
Paul and his colleagues engaged many imaginative
delivery partners too, who brought the day to life.
Students from Hallam University performed role plays
and the NHS had a paramedic providing first aid emergency
training. Even Liquid and Diva’s DJ and lighting
engineer were enrolled to give children a new perspective
on the sophisticated electronics needed to produce
the music and disco lights at a nightclub.
Paul said: “Students are in a new and exciting
environment, which engages their attention. They
don’t feel like they are learning, but it is
happening on lots of levels – there are the
curriculum links, but also skills like enquiry, team
work, problem solving, communication and risk management.
He said: “During the evaluation of the first
day we all agreed it was a lot of fun and the students
loved it, but just as importantly we agreed that
the science and the learning were there too. It’s
a great day – it delivers for students and
teachers in a really creative way.”
