Creativity is vital to effective teaching and learning and is embedded into all stages and areas of our curriculum at Repton Al Barsha. While engaging with learning in a creative way, children and young people are not passive learners; instead they are exploring, discovering, communicating and creating. Studies show that creativity frees the mind in a way that enables the learner to absorb knowledge more easily.

I’m sure the majority of our Reptonian families agree with the value of creativity for our students, but what actually is creativity? It is interesting to note that the root meaning of the word Creativity, is ‘to grow’. Creativity, especially in relation to our older students, is not only about making something, it involves the generation of new and unique ideas, building upon past learning, making new associations between concepts, in order to create an outcome or product that has novelty and originality.

In my role of art teacher, I often remind children of the words of Matisse, Creativity takes Courage. To be creative you must give a little of yourself, become vulnerable. For children, particularly teenagers, it can be difficult to freely express novel ideas without fear of being judged. At Repton Al Barsha we provide a safe space for students to explore, take risks, make mistakes and create, free of fear.

Creativity is important in everyday life because it allows one to think in new, vibrant and exciting ways. Creative people are able to problem solve, find ways around obstacles and change barriers into opportunities. Living a creative life allows us to see opportunities in the mundane, making life more fulfilling and fun!

When we think of jobs that require creativity, titles such as graphic designer, artist or architect may come to mind. However, creativity and innovation are important across all industries. Even the most prosaic of business challenges can benefit from inventive solutions. Creativity, accompanied by innovation, increases productivity, allows for adaptability (for example, adapting to the disruption caused by the Covid pandemic) and is vital for growth. Clearly, creativity is not only important as a form of self-expression or art.

We challenge our Reptonian families to inject more creativity into their lives! This could be through cooking, taking up a form of art, writing, taking photos of things and places or engaging in a problem-solving activity.

It has been said that, “All children are born creative, the challenge is keeping them that way!”. Our Reptonians enjoy freedom of expression across all areas of the curriculum and are able to communicate and create in a variety of ways. We at Repton Al Barsha, strive to promote creativity in all that we do, producing students who are risk takers, motivated, innovative and future-ready.

J. McGirr Art Teacher & Head of Year 6