Chris Howlett’s
Creative Education Works
Creative Education Artist and Experienced Teacher
4 Year B.Ed (Hons) – 30+ years teaching experience
Full current DBS clearance and Public Liability Insurance held
I deliver a range of creative and expressive learning experiences for pupils and staff that promise to support and inspire the way you and your children think, teach and learn.
All my sessions count towards Artsmark and Arts Award status
and I am widely experienced in teaching and working with schools
as an Arts and Creativity Partner.
I’ve twice led my school to a Gold Artsmark and can help you achieve the same.
What I can offer you
I am an experienced primary teacher and trainer with a wealth of practical indoor, classroom-based and outdoor teaching and learning experience as well as the flexibility and enthusiasm for developing creative teaching and learning.
I deliver creative education sessions both as a hands-on practitioner with children and adults and also as a staff trainer to demonstrate, support and give confidence to education providers across the whole primary curriculum. I also advise on all aspects of delivering a more creative and innovative curriculum in primary schools.
I offer staff training, targeted workshops, practical classroom and outdoor sessions which share the best creative practices based on over 30 years of seeing, doing and learning with teachers and pupils.
I will work with you to plan, develop and engage the best creative practices and learning experiences in your school or organisation in an encouraging, challenging, enjoyable and thought-provoking atmosphere.
My sessions offer the opportunity for teachers to take a step back and observe my creative practices with their own pupils, to think and reflect on what’s really happening in the classroom and to consider the creative possibilities of a creative approach for the future of their own teaching and learning.
Original thinking
I work across the country with teachers, children, teaching assistants, Headteachers, governors and education advisers to provide exciting, involving and stimulating creative learning experiences for all involved in teaching.
My aim is to show how existing practice in schools can be adapted to develop a creative curriculum which is even richer, more interesting, more varied and above all more creative to give children a broader and better education experience in school.
I offer exciting and dynamic opportunities for individual creativity, freedom of artistic and self-expression and promotion of new ideas and thinking to take root for both teachers and children.These are all vital ingredients for healthy, well-balanced learning to take place and have been steadily squeezed by the focus on core subjects in recent years. With greater importance now given to developing the creative curriculum there are fantastic opportunities to broaden creative thinking and introduce it across the whole curriculum, not just in the arts.
Working with you
Everything I do and promote comes from a Primary Class Teacher’s perspective. Years of experience have shown me what works well, what could be improved and what is the very best use of a teacher’s time when working to motivate and enthuse pupils’ learning instincts.
I have a wealth of experience to share and a million practical ways to do exciting and interesting creative things in the classroom which will really inspire and excite pupils and motivate teachers.
My most recent delivery has included:
For staff:
- Enjoyable, practical, relevant and useable staff development and training
Staff meetings with practical emphasis on Art and Creativity
Hands-on and theory combined activity sessions
Practical Art activities you can really use in the classroom
Experience in using De Bono, Reggio Emilia and Philosophy For Children (P4C) approaches in school
Creative Documentation- what it is and how to do it using real life examples made in schools
For children:
- Immersive Art experiences and workshops
- Creative writing and Art activities
- Art and Design Technology combined projects and workshops
- Reggio Emilia approach based topics (child-led questioning)
- De Bono themed projects – Five Thinking Hats approach
- Themed/ targeted creative exploration sessions
- One-off creative arts projects
- Arts Week and creative residencies
- Commissioned artwork for schools
- School displays and Art showcase event projects
- Creative documentation projects
I tailor work to a school’s specific requirements through negotiation prior to a project or training commencing and systematically review and adapt if necessary as we proceed. (This list is general and not exclusive so if there’s something specific you want please just ask!)
I’m also happy to work with other artists to maximise your budget. I can help to plan and deliver a joint project if required and have done this many times before.
What others say about me...
I have a portfolio of recommendations and endorsements from organisations I have worked with.These are a few of the things they’ve said about me.
“Chris has been fundamental in developing arts and creativity across Sheffield and has been an inspiration to other teachers in the primary art network group.”
Strategy Manager, Sheffield Arts Education
“Chris has encouraged his colleagues to develop their teaching through his professionalism and commitment. His approach has enthused both staff and children alike.”
Senior Teacher, Meadowhead Language College, Sheffield
“Teachers commented upon your enthusiastic and kind manner in encouraging the children to explore and investigate.”
Teacher, Redesdale Primary, Wallsend
“You’ve got to believe in yourself and use your own imagination.”
Pupil from St Oswald’s RC Primary, Newcastle upon Tyne
“I enjoyed making maths games for younger children. It was fun and I found out I could do it after all. They really liked it too.”
Pupil from Monkhouse Primary, North Shields
“It has made me think more about different opportunities to take classes on visits out of school which have cross-curricula links.”
Trainee Teacher, North Tyneside SCITT
“I saw how visiting an art gallery can be carried on in school and linked to other curriculum subjects.”
Trainee Teacher, North Tyneside SCITT
“I’ve realised I’m a creative person because I don’t always have to follow instructions to make good things happen.”
Pupil from Preston Grange Primary, North Shields
“I’m not totally creative but I suppose most of me is.”
Pupil from Preston Grange Primary
