Dear Parents and Carers

Our next school value after Easter is Creativity. Why creativity? The world is changing at a fantastic speed. The future requires people who can problem-solve, adapt, and communicate in workplaces and environments that are increasingly complex. Creativity creates jobs, drives economic growth, and provides answers to societal needs.

Most people associate creativity with the arts such as writing a novel, painting a picture, or composing music. While these are all creative endeavors, not all creative thinkers are artists. Many jobs require creative thinking, including positions in the world of business and science. Creativity simply means being able to come up with something new. If you can create something, not only will you enrich your personal life, you will have an advantage in whatever field you enter.

Creative thinking means looking at something in a new way. It is the very definition of “thinking outside the box.” Often, creativity in this sense involves what is called lateral thinking, or the ability to perceive patterns that are not obvious. The fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, used lateral thinking in one famous story when he realized that a dog not barking was an important clue in a murder case.

Some people are naturally more creative than others, but creative thinking can be strengthened with practice. You can practice creative thinking by solving riddles, being aware of (and letting go of) your assumptions, and through play. Play implies anything unstructured and relaxing, such as daydreaming.

Creative people have the ability to devise new ways to carry out tasks, solve problems, and meet challenges.

They bring a fresh, and sometimes unorthodox, perspective to their work. This way of thinking can help teams move in directions that are more productive.

To be unorthodox is our goal. To help prepare your children to be more creative, and therefore more prepared for their future. More time to talk, discuss. More time to be playful with ideas. To value the importance of sometimes meandering with your thoughts. To build in time to reflect. To coach children to value “being stuck” on a problem. To train them to be comfortable with not knowing the solution straight away. To build physical or mental play into our lessons. To model to them, how to encourage ideas from the whole team. To empower them to value the ideas that at first glance seem wide of the mark. To be different, and not afraid to be different.

Kind regards

Mr Ord