Arts Subjects at Key Stage 4 – invitation to tender launched

First published on Wed, March 06, 2013.

Creative & Cultural Skills, as research delivery partner for Arts Council England, are issuing an invitation to tender for a study on the future of arts subjects at Key Stage 4. The research is entitled ‘Arts subjects at Key Stage 4: a review of current GCSE provision and the development of new Programmes of Study’.

The research will look in-depth at current provision in arts subjects at GCSE – Art & Design, Dance, Drama and Music. It will create a set of new draft Programmes of Study, bringing together core content for each subject and most appropriate methods of assessment. As part of this process a range of educators, learners and parents will be consulted. There are two key elements of the study:

Are the current GCSE arts courses ‘fit for purpose’? Do they:

• Contain challenging content to ensure that pupils are studying courses offering breadth and depth?

• Incorporate a reliable, rigorous and appropriate method of assessment of skills, knowledge and expertise required by the subjects? Reflect high expectations of the level of performance level that pupils must achieve?

• Provide opportunities for pupils to develop transferable skills such as communication skills, working with others, self-expression, and developing ideas? (We ask that proposals present potential methods of answering this question)

• Provide cross-curricular opportunities, particularly with the STEM subjects?

• Support progression to further study and improve skills valued by employers?

Based on assessments of the above, draft new programmes will be developed.

• How are these perceived by educators, parents and learners and what factors might affect their take up? What influences the decisions of headteachers, pupils and parents to offer, study and promote arts subjects at KS4?

• How do headteachers, pupils and parents view arts GCSEs in relation to other subjects, particularly those that currently form part of the EBacc (including relative ‘value’, content, and rigor)?

• What are the perceived skills and knowledge developed through arts GCSEs in the view of teachers, pupils and parents?

The full tender document is available here.

The deadline for submitting applications is the 25th March 2013 at 18:00. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview in the week commencing 8th April 2013. Tender responses should be no more than 10 pages, plus appendices.

For further information about this project or if you have questions please contact David Parker, Research Director at Creative and Cultural Skills (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address))