Let us indeed move away from a “Karaoke curriculum - where teachers jut follow the bouncing ball of the Government’s script ” ( Andy Hargreaves, TES March 5 2004 ).

But if the Government wants a curriculum of “Excellence and Enjoyment” then teachers need to be inspired and nurtured to provide just that.

Inset should be used to inspire, making readers, writers, painters and musicians of us all, not the dreary drag through government strategies that they invariably are.

A music Inset that I recently attended did just that - we were encouraged to be creative (not jusdt for the children) and to make music. Fantastic! I have been enthused to try out new ideas right away. So why can’t the next Literacy Inset that I attend be a writer’s workshop instead of looking at new targets and assessment proceedures? And I would appreciate an art masterclass too!

Nurture teacher creativity and the rest will take care of itself.

Christine Chalstrey
Middle Barton
Oxonnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;