Ministers have been asked to set up an advisory group promised in response to the Arts Council England review, a move campaigners say could help ensure creativity becomes a central part of children’s education rather than an optional add-on.
Policy gap affects classroom practice, say cultural groups
At Norwich Theatre, staff argue that current public policy has not kept pace with the way schools and cultural organisations already use creative practice to support learning. They warn that multiple, disconnected funding streams and short-term projects make it harder to build the long-term partnerships that deliver measurable benefits for children.
Those benefits, the theatre’s programmes suggest, include gains in language, confidence, empathy and emotional understanding — all qualities that underpin classroom progress. One local initiative, Wise About Words, combines drama, storytelling, role-play and movement to help teachers bring learning to life and to support children’s communication and emotional literacy. This year it has extended into teacher training so practitioners can use creative approaches from the earliest years.
Another project, a podcast made with care-experienced young people and Norfolk County Council called Beyond the System, emphasised how giving young people a genuine creative voice can build confidence and influence the services that affect them.
Early years readiness highlights urgency
Campaigners say the case for prioritising creativity is strengthened by worrying measures of early years readiness. Research linked to the work in Norfolk shows that 33% of children starting Reception are not considered school ready. The theatre warns that the need for interventions is particularly acute for disadvantaged children, but that continuity and proper resourcing are required for impact.
| Indicator | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Children starting Reception not school ready | 33% |
Those behind local programmes stress that short-term projects cannot substitute for systemic support. They say properly aligned national policy — the role the government advisory group is expected to play — would help match funding, education and cultural strategies so that creative provision becomes part of standard practice rather than an occasional enrichment activity.
- Language and communication: drama and storytelling help develop vocabulary and expressive skills.
- Social and emotional learning: role-play and performance nurture empathy, confidence and emotional understanding.
- Teacher development: training in creative approaches enables sustained classroom use from early years upwards.
Norwich Theatre’s arguments mirror concerns raised elsewhere: that cultural and education sectors frequently pursue similar goals but operate in silos. The proposed advisory group is intended to align funding and policy across government programmes that support arts education, but council and cultural leaders say progress from ministers must be rapid if opportunities for the youngest learners are not to be missed.
For schools and local cultural partners, the demand is practical. They want longer-term, stable partnerships that allow imaginative activity to be embedded in learning, and resources targeted at teacher training so creative techniques are available to all pupils, not only those in better-funded areas or whose families can pay for out-of-school provision.
The debate will matter for inspection and accountability as well. If creativity is to be treated as core, it will require clarity on how creative learning contributes to attainment and wellbeing, and how inspectors and education leaders should recognise those contributions in performance measures and improvement plans.
In short, local evidence suggests creativity does more than enrich a curriculum — it supports foundational skills and personal development. Campaigners are calling on ministers to turn the advisory group into a mechanism for coherent national policy that gives every child the chance to benefit.
