Professional development is key to the long-term success of the creative learning programme and linked to each of our creative learning projects.
We offer monthly Creative Teach-Meets to help schools, libraries and creative practitioners to share inspiring practice and develop collaborations with our local and national partners. These include Royal Ballet and Opera, the National Gallery and Creativity, Culture and Education.
To sign up to our free professional development sessions or Creative Teach-Meet, please contact our Creative Learning Manager, Becky Parry
becky.parry@rotherham.gov.uk
Creative Teach-Meet: Social Innovation Education - using creative problem solving to improve the local area
Thursday 19 June 2025
4:00pm - 5:30pm
The LEAF Centre (next to Rockingham PD Centre)
Roughwood Road, Rotherham S61 4HY
This Teach-Meet is aimed at primary schools.
The LEAF Centre is a therapeutic step out provision that aims to radically improve the emotional well-being, learning opportunities and social development of children most vulnerable to social and educational exclusion.
It was co-created between children at Rockingham J and I School, staff and community members through a Social Innovation Education programme embedded in the Willow Tree Academy curriculum. The programme empowers children to be creative problem solvers who address social and sustainability issues they identify in their local community.
We’ll hear about the numerous projects’ children from all 4 schools in the Multi Academy Trust have worked on and how it’s made them more creative and innovative.
Sally Travis from the Cultural Education Network, a new organisation that provides hands-on support for teachers, will then explain how they work and how they can help you in school.
Finally, Jen Wall, Education Consultant for CCoC will tell you how to get involved in Social Innovation Education.
Creative Teach-Meet: Introducing Articulation - developing confidence and expression through art
Thursday 22 May 2025
4:00pm - 5:30pm
This Teach-Meet is aimed at secondary school teachers and creative practitioners.
Articulation is a free National Gallery programme that engages young people, regardless of background or experience, with art and develops their confidence and ability to express their opinions, thoughts and conclusions.
Abi Cobb, Engagement Manager for Children’s Capital of Culture, is leading a group of Rotherham students doing the gold Artsmark Award. They embarked upon their Articulation journey at Wentworth Woodhouse on April 1st - hear from them about their experience so far.
Then learn from alumni of the Articulation programme about what it’s like, how it’s impacted them and how secondary students can get involved.
Josepha Sanna, Articulation Project Manager for the National Gallery, will be on hand to answer questions about how to get involved.
REANIMATE: ART, LITERACY, DESIGN, COMPUTING
Friday 2 May 2025
9:30AM - 2:30PM
Rockingham Professional Development Centre, S61 4HY
This practical session will take you through each stage of animation production, working with Aardman alumni and independent filmmaker, Virpi Kettu of Kettu Studios.
You will learn how to undertake animation with children and young people from inspiring international case studies. You will also be invited to consider how you can integrate film and animation into your practice with children and young people more.
We will share more details of how to get involved in the REPLAY film and media festival.
Finally, you will plan your participation in the REANIMATE project, considering how animation can be used for creative consultation that gives children and young people’s ideas a public platform.
REMAKE: PRIMARY STEM AND LITERACY
Wednesday 30 April 2025
9:00am - 2:30pm
Rockingham professional development centre, S61 4HY
A hands-on creative day for Rotherham primary teachers, creative practitioners and librarians led by Maker{Futures} at the University of Sheffield. Learn how maker education can provide an exciting and active learning environment that develops ‘maker spirit’ and impacts on inclusion and engagement.
Bring along a laptop and a favourite children’s book and take away lots of inspiring innovative ideas and resources! You will also leave with a plan to get children creatively engaging with stories through science, technology, engineering and maths.
REIMAGINE: PRIMARY DRAMA
Thursday 24 April 2025
10:00am - 2:30pm
Rockingham Professional Development Centre, S61 4HY
Work with internationally renowned and experienced drama educators, Chol Theatre, who have developed Imaginary Communities through action-research in Rotherham classrooms! Learn how to implement the approach in your context and become part of a flourishing drama education network.
During this practical training day, you will be guided through a series of accessible activities, discovering creative, inclusive and playful techniques to engage children in learning, developing empathy, communication and collaboration.
You will learn how each stage has been designed to enable you to co-create imaginary worlds with children based on stories, histories or settings. You will leave the training with new creative approaches which can support cross-curricular learning and increase engagement in literacy.