Art Matters, Teachers Matter, Learners Matter! We believe that all learners have an entitlement to art, craft and design education that is underpinned by well designed, future-facing contemporary curriculum, that are relevant and adapted to the specific context of learners – wherever they go to school.
NSEAD is working with Oak National Academy to design flexible, adaptable models of practice, informed by national subject experts and recent high-level research. This work is publicly funded for the benefit of all art, craft and design teachers and schools. Our hope is that our partnership with Oak alongside our own Big Landscape project will result in an unparalleled package of support for art, craft and design educators. Better practice for teachers, led by teachers – they deserve nothing less.
Over the next 18 months we will be working hard to develop new Primary and Secondary curriculum resources. Supporting teachers, acting for equity and championing a learner-centered, future-facing contemporary curriculum for all.
Here are some of the things that we have been asked by members. Please do get in touch with us if you have any questions or comments.
FAQs
Why is NSEAD working with the Oak National Academy?
The Oak curriculum resources are available free of charge to all educators, parents and carers. They are totally optional - nobody has to use them.. Whilst they are provided primarily to support learners in English schools, they can be accessed by anyone, anywhere. We know that teachers want flexible resources for art, craft and design to support and inspire learning and curriculum design, and this is a brilliant opportunity to reach thousands of teachers and learners.NSEAD are uniquely able to lead this work – made for teachers, by teachers who are supported by the rich and diverse knowledge and expertise of our member community.
How do the Oak principles align with NSEAD’s commitment to learner-centred, locally relevant curriculum?
It is important to us that teachers and learners have access to resources that model great practice and inspire innovative approaches. But we will never promote an ‘off-the-shelf’ product. Our work with Oak will complement The Big Landscape – our toolkit to help every school review and develop their art and design curriculum and pedagogies. It will support teachers to engage with a curriculum model in whatever way works best for them. We want to empower educators to work with confidence to develop their professional practice, working with their learners and local communities. Oak and NSEAD are committed to diversity and equity – all resources are flexible and can be adapted for your school, your learners.
There are lots of businesses and organisations providing curriculum resources that schools can use, why should the taxpayer fund more?
There are a number of organisations that create helpful curriculum packages for art and design that schools can now purchase, and many pay annually for these. But we believe that high-quality resources should be available without extra cost. We believe in a mixed model with teachers able to access a range of high quality resources from across the sector, including sujbect associations, commercial providers and free content provided by OAK and other public sector organisations. Schools can choose how (and whether) to use and adapt them, alongside other materials if they wish. The important thing is that any resources must be flexible, adaptable - because every learner, every setting is different.
How will this partnership help art educators?
Our work with Oak is all about encouraging better practice by providing curriculum models and resources that educators can engage with whatever their level of confidence or experience. In Lockdown we worked with Oak creating a lockdown curriculum and lessons. Our new resources will be used in a range of ways by many different users: to support curriculum design, to inspire and model different approaches, to mix and match with other resources, to use in case of absence or emergency – or as a complete model curriculum. All free and optional at point of use.
How will NSEAD's Big Landscape be part of this work?
Our work on the Oak curriculum sequence and resources is part of The Big Landscape project and toolkit. The Big Landscape principles and aims that underpin this work at every stage. The Big Landscape maps the breadth and scope of our subject and we hope that anyone accessing our Oak content will also use The Big Landscape as the go-to curriculum toolkit. This will help teachers adapt and personalise anything they wish to.
Our curriculum resources, content and Big Landscape will help schools build their own unique fit-for-purpose, 21st-century art and design curriculum, with their learners and community at the heart. Our goal is to provide a high-quality model, that is a trusted starting point for everyone can benefit from.
Will Oak take the place of subject specialists?
No! NSEAD is a community of art, craft and design specialists.and we firmly believe that art education should be delivered by specialists. Oak content will be helpful to support non-specialists – as material for use during covered lessons, by home educators, or school closures for example. However, our lessons will offer a rich and expansive range of experiences for use by art educators of all kinds. Teaching art is more than pressing 'play'!
