Teacher Development Fund for the arts launches

The Teacher Development Fund for arts-based teaching has now been launched by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and is open for applications.

The purpose of the Teacher Development Fund is to support the delivery of effective arts-based teaching and learning opportunities in the primary classroom and to embed learning through the arts in the curriculum.

It aims to do this through supporting teachers and school leaders to develop the necessary skills, knowledge, confidence and experience.

The Fund, which focuses on supporting disadvantaged pupils, will offer approximately five grants of up to £150,000 for projects working over two academic years. The first deadline is 23 March for projects beginning in Autumn 2018.

Lead applicants can be either a school or an arts/cultural organisation. The Paul Hamlyn Foundation (PHF) is looking for proposals which demonstrate strong partnerships between schools and arts/cultural organisations.

Proposed partnerships must involve a minimum of five and a maximum of 10 participating schools, with a minimum of one senior leader and two teachers per school.

Full information about the fund can be found at www.phf.org.uk/Funds/TDF.

The site contains a number of films and blogs which exemplify PHF's priorities around disadvantage, partnership working, the definition of continuous professional development and learning (CPDL), the involvement of school leaders as lead learners, reflective practice and the role of specialist artist practitioners.