By Dr Adam Brooks, Educational Engagement Graduate Intern, University of Leeds
‘Arts Teachers Connect’ is committed to invigorating, diversifying and enhancing the practice of art teachers to revitalise the teaching of art and art history in secondary school education. The programme offers a free three-day residential programme in Leeds, online CPD sessions across the year, and a Postgraduate Certificate in ‘Developing Teachers’ Research and Practice’. It has created a growing, vibrant network of over 230 art and art history teachers – who teach over 35k pupils a week across the UK – and offers valuable opportunities for professional growth and creative development in the field of art education.
The Challenge
The Arts have been increasingly under pressure in education and while the current UK Government has pledged to address this issue, continued economic challenges and the need to replace what has been lost over the last 15 years mean the situation is still dire despite this rhetoric of change. The Arts face declining student numbers, inequality of access, and the rhetoric of subject ‘value,’ which typically casts the Arts as less worthwhile than STEM subjects. Many secondary school art teachers find themselves undervalued, working in isolation, and having to advocate for their subject amidst diminishing resources. Recognising this, the University of Leeds launched the Art Teachers Connect (ATC) programme in 2017. The programme provides subject-specific learning opportunities and access to a network of support and care to address the crucial need for continued professional development (CPD) and community among art educators.
Following her outreach work engaging students in Art History, Abigail Harrison Moore, the ATC Lead, recognised the importance of also reaching out to teachers: “I began to realise through working with fabulous teachers, I was missing a trick. While I got huge amounts out of working to empower individual young people, it dawned on me that by empowering their teachers, I could have an impact across time and reach out to far greater numbers of young people who might be feeling disempowered/scared/confused by the education system.”
Art Teachers Connect emerged as a response to these multi-faceted and significant challenges, seeking to equip secondary school art teachers with the skills, confidence, and collaborative networks they need to thrive. The programme aims to support and encourage Arts educators professionally, reaffirming the value of what they do, and helping them and their students to feel inspired, energised and cared for. Partnership with and funding from the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, part of Yale University, has enabled ATC’s programme of support to teachers to grow. Their achievements are now celebrated on ATC’s new website, atcuk.org.
The Approach
Initially launched in 2017 as 'Plan Prepare Provide' (PPP), the programme later rebranded to Art Teachers Connect to better reflect its mission of fostering community and collaboration. Key to this mission is ATC’s 3-day residential course.
The residential started life as a day of talks followed by two days of ‘play’ in the University of Leeds’ School of Fine Art studios. Following the growth of the programme, the residential has developed into a diverse, and still playful, series of workshops, discussions and hands-on activities. All sessions are designed to rejuvenate and inspire educators.
Amanda, an art teacher based in Leicester, attended the residential in 2021. She summarises the value of ATC’s approach as follows: ‘I had been motivated to attend the residential because I wanted CPD that was completely relevant to me, and my students. It wasn’t going to be CPD where I just sat there and listened to the theory, and it clearly delivered practical things I could take back into a classroom. I think that is the value of PPP (ATC), and the network is brilliant. I hadn’t thought before attending about how much connecting with other teachers would impact me in a positive way. Plus, you leave thinking “yeah, I’m going to do that”. The tutors are very inspiring and bring the best out of people.’
Art Teachers Connect also provides high-quality continuing professional development beyond the residential, offering standalone CPD opportunities throughout the year. These free online sessions, developed and delivered by Anne-Louise Quinton, an art teacher and consultant, tackle contemporary challenges in art education – for example protest, well-being and diversifying the curriculum – introduce innovative teaching methodologies, and provide practical resources that teachers can bring directly to their classrooms. These sessions aim to provide new ideas, resources and lesson starters to diversify teachers’ practice, while their flexibility allows teachers to engage with the programme in a way that fits their schedules and professional needs. Additionally, at least once a year, art teachers are invited to bring a colleague from another subject area to these online sessions – this aims to inspire and nurture a wider community of educators and highlights the interdisciplinary value of the Arts.
Responding to participants’ requests for accredited CPD at the first residential in 2017, ATC expanded its offering to include a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Developing Teachers’ Research and Practice. This certificate allows educators to deepen their research skills and explore pedagogical strategies tailored to the Arts. Participants complete two modules delivered by University of Leeds colleagues from the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, receive one-to-one support from a personal tutor, and ultimately complete their own research projects.
Anna Wallace, a secondary school teacher of Art and Design with over 20 years’ experience, reflects on her experience completing the Certificate: ‘To me, the PGCert represented a step forward in my professional and personal journey – somewhere within the hustle and bustle of daily life I had forgotten how much I enjoyed research and learning… The course not only develops teacher research & practice but feeds into the educational experience of the children we teach.’
Sue Gibbons, a secondary school art teacher based in Wiltshire, expands on the process of undertaking the PGCert: ‘I was worried about taking on a huge extra workload as I have small children and work is already very busy, but the PG Cert just felt like it was a part of my usual job. Rather than feeling like more work, it expanded what I could do within my job, and I loved it. I could actively include my own research as part of my job, and it didn’t really feel like extra work, in fact it made my job so much more engaging. My chosen research focus was the power of the workshop, looking at alternative spaces for collaborative work. My first assignment was quite critical about the current educational system, and I felt like I was writing out all the frustrations I had been feeling for the last few years. It felt like a bit of a rant, but it cleared my head and prepared me for the more meaningful research. My second assignment became a big project that underpins what we do in the Art department and has influence across the whole school. It has really invigorated me.’
The Impact
From its inception, Arts Teachers Connect has been committed to fostering vibrant Arts education and underscoring the value of Arts subjects and specifically art history within the curriculum. The programme has made a tangible difference in the professional lives of its participants, nurturing a sense of community and revitalising their passion for teaching.
Quantitative data underscores its impact: evaluation surveys conducted before and after the programme show a 45% increase in participants feeling valued as a teacher, emphasising ATC’s ability to enhance the perceived worth of educators.
There was also a 57% increase in participants feeling confident in delivering the written element of the Art A Level, indicating a substantial boost in teacher self-assurance regarding curriculum delivery. There was an additional 30% increase in participants who felt enthusiastic or energised about their teaching practice, suggesting that the programme has successfully invigorated educators' passion for teaching. These statistics not only reflect the success of ATC in bolstering teacher morale and competence, but also underscore the potential for such programmes to make a lasting positive impact on educational practices.
The broader impact of ATC is best illustrated through the stories of the educators who have taken part. Sue reflects on the impact the programme has had on her morale and approach to teaching: ‘I’m excited about my work again. I’m excited about being in the classroom. It has definitely made me braver. I now feel more confident about taking a risk, working with the wildcards and voicing my opinions. I know that I can do things my way and prove it works.’
Amanda likewise emphasises ATC’s capacity to re-vitalise: ‘A lot of teachers are struggling with our own value and worth. The lack of funding, support and connections make being an Art teacher exceedingly difficult. But the encouragement and passion you feel as a part of ATC reignites your professional fire. If I could, I would camp out at every ATC event…’
Anna has since contributed to and led major programmes for educational intervention. She reflects on how ATC has helped her in these roles: ‘Currently, I am over halfway through a 3-year secondment and working on a Department for Education funded pilot project which aims to reduce young people’s involvement in serious violence. In this role I design and commission evidence-based interventions to support referred young people who are at risk of disengagement from education. The skills I learnt and developed during my time completing the PGCert have greatly helped me in this role. The fact that I had recently completed a series of research-based essays helped me to write academically, to structure my thinking and embed research related justifications into theories of change. I am proud to say that through this process I have secured over £3 million in funding for schools in the district where I work. The course developed my confidence to grasp opportunities as they present themselves.’
The success of Art Teachers Connect underscores the effectiveness of well-structured, long-term CPD programmes in invigorating educators. Such programmes can lead to a domino effect, where inspired teachers can, in turn, motivate students to pursue art and art history, potentially reversing the downward trend in student numbers. The Sutton Trust's research reinforces the impact that teacher experience and qualifications have on student outcomes, particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, highlighting the significance of initiatives like ATC.
What Next?
ATC has recently launched a new website to enable the programme’s community to remain active and engaged year-round. It serves as a hub for information about the programme, provides resources, and showcases the research and successes of ATC’s participants.
With funding from the Paul Mellon Centre secured through 2026, Art Teachers Connect is set to continue to empower art educators and develop its vibrant community. Abigail Harrison Moore reflects that the programme’s ambition remains the same: to provide ‘a community of support and exchange between art and art history teachers across the UK.’ The programme is constantly thinking about how to best support this community and ultimately support creative futures for all.
To find out more about Art Teachers Connect, email the Student Success Team at studentsuccess@leeds.ac.uk or read our stories at the Art Teachers Connect website.
