Quality education is the cornerstone of a prosperous society, and teachers are at the heart of delivering effective and equitable learning experiences. In the United Kingdom, The Paul Hamlyn Foundation is committed to enhancing teacher development by promoting arts-based teaching and learning opportunities in primary classrooms. Through their Teacher Development Fund (TDF), the foundation seeks to empower teachers and school leaders with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to deliver sustainable arts-based education while addressing the needs of disadvantaged pupils.
The Teacher Development Fund: A Brief Overview
The Teacher Development Fund is an initiative by The Paul Hamlyn Foundation designed to promote the integration of arts-based learning into the primary curriculum. The foundation recognizes the transformative power of the arts in education, not only as a means of enhancing academic achievement but also as a tool for promoting inclusivity and addressing systemic inequity.
Application Priorities
The Teacher Development Fund places a strong emphasis on specific application priorities to ensure its mission is realized effectively:
1. Supporting Pupils Experiencing Inequity: The fund prioritizes projects that address the needs of pupils facing systemic inequity and disadvantage. Inequity can manifest in various forms, including socio-economic disparities, special educational needs, racial inequity, or geographical isolation. Projects that demonstrate a profound understanding of how inequity affects learning barriers and propose strategies to mitigate them are favored.
2. Embedding Arts in the Curriculum: The foundation supports projects that incorporate arts-based content and approaches into the curriculum. This means creating learning experiences that use art forms such as crafts, creative writing, dance, music, theater, and more to engage students and facilitate their access to the curriculum.
3. Primary School Focus: The TDF focuses on primary schools and teachers' professional development in these institutions.
4. Inclusion and Intersectionality: Projects that take an anti-racist and intersectional approach across all aspects of their work are encouraged.
5. Long-term Impact: The foundation encourages long-term, inquiry-based projects that aim to create lasting change in schools. It expects practices developed during TDF projects to continue beyond the two-year grant period, with active involvement from school leadership.
6. Partnerships: Strong partnerships between schools and arts/cultural organizations are vital. These partnerships should emphasize shared priorities, co-construction of content, joint inquiry, and a learner-centered approach for all involved parties.
7. Blended Learning: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation has added a priority for blended Continuing Professional Development and Learning (CPDL) models. Projects exploring the pedagogy of online practice and how blended approaches can enhance in-person teacher learning are welcome.
Funding Information
The Teacher Development Fund provides grants of up to £165,000 for a duration of two academic years. The foundation expects to award around eight grants per year. The funding covers both activity costs and core organizational costs related directly to the project. Participating schools are encouraged to make contributions, though the nature of this contribution can vary based on each school's context.
On average, the foundation funds approximately 20% of the applications it receives, highlighting the competitive nature of the grants.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants for the Teacher Development Fund can be either primary schools or arts/cultural organizations, but they must demonstrate strong partnerships. Each project should involve a minimum of six and a maximum of ten schools, regardless of the lead applicant. Participating schools are expected to commit at least two teachers and one senior leader to the project. Flexibility is offered to small, rural schools.
In some cases, applicants may identify additional partners for their projects, such as local authorities, school improvement services, teaching school alliances, research schools, or higher education institutions.
It's important to note that the Teacher Development Fund does not accept applications from individuals, organizations applying on behalf of individuals, independent schools, or secondary schools.
The Teacher Development Fund by The Paul Hamlyn Foundation is a commendable initiative aimed at enhancing the quality of education in the United Kingdom by integrating arts-based learning into primary classrooms. Through its strategic priorities, funding opportunities, and emphasis on partnerships, the TDF seeks to empower teachers, address inequity, and create lasting change in the education landscape. If you are a primary school or arts/cultural organization passionate about innovative education, consider applying for the TDF to contribute to the transformation of primary education in the UK.
For more information and to apply, visit the https://www.phf.org.uk. Join hands with the foundation in their mission to nurture the next generation of creative, confident, and capable learners in the United Kingdom.
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