The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

The ILEA provides a comparable service in other artforms, as of course, do a number of authorities. The valueof Advisers and of Advisory Teachers stems from theirproviding a dissemination of ideas throughout an authority.The tendency, in some authorities, to re-deploy AdvisoryTeachers to work full-time in one school, to make redundancieswithin the service, or to leave posts vacant, forwhatever reason, is very much to be regretted, therefore,and poses a grave threat to standards of provision in thearts. We believe that a strong Advisory Service is both themost effective and least expensive way of improving thequality of teaching. We strongly urge that the maintenance,and wherever possible the development, of the AdvisoryService should be seen as an essential safeguard for thefuture of the arts in schools.89 Staff The two main ways in which the quality of the arts in primconsultantsary schools — and we maintain, of the curriculum as a whole— can be improved are by:a raising the general levels of teachers' competence andconfidence in the artsb pursuing opportunities for inter-disciplinary workSome schools are attempting to do this by designatingteachers as consultants, who pass on specialist skills andknowledge to the rest of the staff. This role should be seenas complementary to, rather than instead of, the work ofthe Advisers. The teacher in the school can help other membersof staff on a day-to-day basis on matters affecting work withtheir own classes. This can be done through:a adviceoffering ideas on how to develop particular schemes ofwork through the arts, and how to extend, and deepenthe quality of, arts activities already in handb assistanceworking alongside colleagues for specific lessons oractivitiese coursesorganising short practical sessions for staff on aspectsof their own specialism — use of materials, basic concepts,etcSuch teachers can also provide an element of more specialisedactivity with older children in the primary school whoare ready for more demanding work in the arts.Two further points should be made. First, although we59