We are all creative
Whoever we are, wherever we go, the choices we make can open doors to new possibilities.
In a world increasingly shaped by AI and technology, human creativity has never been more vital. Through curiosity, imagination and problem-solving, we equip students with the unique knowledge and skills that technology alone cannot replace.
These subjects provide every young person with the confidence and skills to explore, adapt, collaborate, and thrive in a constantly changing world.
The drive to ask questions and seek answers.
"Curiosity not only makes you eager to learn, but it’s the foundation of new ideas. It keeps you asking “why?” and “what if?”, and it makes you more interesting to work with."
Empathy, communication, and collaboration.
"Creative skills are more important than ever, especially in a world increasingly shaped by AI. The ability to problem-solve, imagine, and create. These are human skills! There’s something incredibly powerful about having an idea and then making it real. I truly believe that businesses will always pay for, and need, creative minds on their teams."
Unique ideas and fresh perspectives.
"Creativity sharpens your ability to think laterally, supports learning in other subjects like science and maths, and helps you develop original ideas. It's not about becoming an artist necessarily - it’s about learning how to think."
Testing, tinkering, and trying new approaches.
"The secret to creativity? Keep an open mind, allow time to experiment, and never give up - even when things go wrong. Because they will. But that’s how you learn."
Tackling challenges with innovation and logic.
"Evidence of creativity is everywhere. We can go to see movies, admire beautiful architecture, hang art on our walls: all of it exists because creative people made it happen. But creativity isn’t just for the arts. It’s about problem-solving, making connections, and seeing possibilities that others miss - skills that are essential in every career, including science and healthcare."
The power to picture what doesn't yet exist.
"I truly believe all children start off creative, it’s a spark they naturally have. Education should help that spark grow, not dampen it down. Of course, there needs to be structure, but that shouldn’t come at the cost of imagination and original thinking."
95% of educators said that promoting creativity reduces stress, both in students and themselves.
Adobe for Education Study, 2023
82% of educators who integrated creative activities noted significant improvements in student wellbeing and engagement.
Adobe for Education Study, 2023
Creative thinking is a key skill for workers. Demand for this skill is expected to grow faster than analytical thinking. It is projected to increase by about 73% in the next five years.
World Economic Forum, 2023
Half of teachers in England (49%) believe the education system should focus more on creative skills.
Pearson School Report, 2025
The top five skills that employers want most are human skills. According to Pearson Skills Outlook Research, 2022, this trend will continue past 2026.
The creative industries make up 10% of UK businesses.
UK Government, Creative industries: Growth, jobs and productivity, 2025
Only then will we see real changes to set creative minds alight.
Time to create
Making enough space for ideas to roam
Teachers currently face significant time-related challenges which include:
- an extensive amount of content to cover within two years, limiting creative student engagement
- marking and internal standardisation demands
- preparing samples for external moderation
- shortage of specialised staff and small departments
- less time scheduled in the timetable, yet with the same pressures to hit expected grades.
We want to help reduce these time pressures. This way, you can better support your students, encouraging them to experiment, take risks, and explore their curiosity.
We are constantly looking at time-saving ways to help you cut through the details as quickly and smoothly as possible. To this end, we have:
- developed enhanced exemplar libraries which give quicker access to relevant exemplars
- created regular live online and face-to-face training
- started to put together support guides on how to take video evidence for moderation
- recommended content reductions to creative subjects in our response to the curriculum and assessment review.
Confidence to create
Strengthening teachers’ and leaders’ core talents
Creative subjects present both challenges and benefits. This is because coursework must be graded internally before outside moderation. The advantages include:
- providing students with an authentic, project-based learning experience
- reducing end-point assessment stress
- fostering autonomy and personal growth.
However, this process can be time-consuming and stressful for teachers. This is especially true when trying to understand exemplar marks and access exemplar materials.
We want to alleviate these challenges and for you to feel confident in using the mark and the moderation processes. This way, you can support your students to take risks, challenge themselves, and be eager to create.
What we’re doing:
- Introducing exemplar libraries across our creative subjects, to ensure students and teachers have a clear understanding of the assessment standards.
- Increasing our face-to-face marking training for Art & Design and Design & Technology.
- Refining and delivering online marking training to ensure everyone has access to live training.
- Developing enhanced training of our moderation team to ensure the highest level of consistency and communication with centres.
- Improving our moderation reports so that they give you meaningful and comprehensive feedback on your cohort after each series.
Opportunity to create
Opening up new chances for connection and collaboration
The creative subjects have been under significant pressure in recent years for a variety of reasons, including:
- competition for curriculum time with EBacc subjects
- pressure on students to choose EBacc subjects over creative ones
- increased focus on writing at the expense of practical creation thus losing the authenticity of the creative subject
- financial barriers affecting access and outcomes
- negative perceptions about the value of creative subjects.
All learners deserve the chance to develop their creativity. That is why we're advocating for better recognition of creative subjects. These subjects should be valued as part of a complete education for all students.
We also want to see the financial burden on schools reduced. This way, no subject will be out of reach due to a lack of materials, equipment, or events.
At a subject content level, we're proposing the following changes:
- An increased weighting of NEA in Music, Physical Education, Design & Technology, and Drama to ensure learners have a more authentic creative experience.
- An earlier release date for externally set assignments for Art & Design.
We’ll also explore accessible pathways into creative subjects for those who feel they're currently out of reach. For example, we’ll be:
- highlighting and exemplifying the non-performance pathway through Drama GCSE
- increasing support for the digital pathway through Art & Design.
Creative Curriculum - Registration of Interest
Creative Curriculum - Registration of Interest
If you want to find out more and be part of our conversations on the future of the Creative Curriculum, register your interest and we'll keep you up to date with our programme of events, forums, insights gathering, updates and more.