Compliance and creativity? Compliance or creativity?

Many teachers and pupils today are beginning to question current primary educational practice (Ogunleye, 2003, Wragg, 2003). They find themselves compliant to an overcrowded curriculum model based on content rather than pedagogy. Those who recognise that engagement and enjoyment is key to learning complain of frustration with a lack of opportunity to address teaching and learning more creatively (MacGilchrist, 2003, Hofkins, 2003). For those committed to broadening educational opportunities for all children so they can participate in the twenty-first century, is it not time to reconsider the current curriculum model that appears to be failing so many? This paper reports on selected results of case study collaborative action research in the primary curriculum. It focuses on the implementation, in a class of Year Six pupils, of a cross-curricula projectbased model where design and technology provided the integrative focus. This model sought to overcome a pedagogical dichotomy between compliance and creativity, raised by the Headteacher and recognised in the literature. The research addressed two important questions: • Was it feasible, in a climate under immense pressure to focus on standards and measurement in the core subjects, to provide a broad and balanced primary curriculum model which embraced rather than marginalised the arts? • Would such an alternative model allow teachers to explore more creative learning and teaching methods and encourage greater levels of engagement on behalf of the pupils? The paper highlights the wider context surrounding the current primary curriculum debate and presents selected findings which provided evidence to suggest that through the application of a process-led pedagogy it is possible to address compliance with National Strategies and the National Curriculum whilst at the same time enhance the creative potential of learning and teaching