The Courtauld has launched new resources for primary and secondary school teachers that are inspired by a growing interest among young people towards architecture and the environment.
With trips to museums and art galleries currently restricted, the resources give teachers an opportunity to explore how design and creativity shape our everyday educational surroundings. The resources have been designed by The Courtauld’s Public Programmes team and provide everything that teachers need to launch an architecture project.
The primary learning resource introduces the topic by exploring education buildings and their history. It examines Somerset House, the current home of The Courtauld, which was an important location for practical art and design education from 1780 to 1853 and includes two case studies about a Victorian and a Modernist school, to introduce the background and ideas behind two of the most common types of school buildings in the UK.
This learning resource will enable teachers and students to look closer at their own school building (who built it) and local history (who lived in your community years ago). There are also strong connections with Science (forces and materials) and the resource introduces some core principles of architecture, such as how buildings stand up, Maths (scale and measurement), and Art and Design. Each section provides suggested classroom activities to help teachers explore these new concepts and ideas with their students.
The secondary schools resource also explores Somerset House and the hidden wonders of the Conway Library, before looking further afield to explore the buildings, communities and spaces more closely connected to the schools and young people that The Courtauld works with. The resource has been set out in 11 sections and it is possible to pick and choose one or more sections or go through them all systematically.
The Courtauld’s Public Programmes team is also hosting two online events for Primary and Secondary school teachers in November:
Key Stage 2 Primary School CPD.
Primary School Architecture: Discover, design, discuss
Tuesday 10 November 17:00 – 18:00
Free
This resource provides everything you need to launch an architecture project based on your own school, with many rich cross-curricular links. This CPD event which is aimed at key stage 2 primary school teachers will introduce you to our newly published primary learning resource by talking you through key concepts and activities. In this event we will:
- Present architecture case studies that should help you to see your own school building in a whole new light (local history).
- Introduce core principles of architecture, such as how buildings stand up (Science)
- Introduce scale and measurement in relation to design and architecture (Maths)
- And of course, some hands-on Art and Design!!
RSVP: To reserve a space, please email education@courtauld.ac.uk with the following information: Your full name, School name and full address.
We will use this information to deduce whether you are a Victorian, Modernist or contemporary school building. This information will be incorporated into one of events activities.
Secondary School Teachers Architectural CPD Event
Thursday 26 November, 17:00 – 18:00
Free
In 2018 The Courtauld closed its doors because of a major renovation to the building. With our artworks out on loan across the country and internationally we focused our attention closer to home by exploring our local buildings, communities and spaces. It has been an ideal opportunity to respond to a growing interest among young people towards architecture and the environment.
The legacy of these exciting pilot projects has now been compiled in an easy to use and multi-layered learning resource with clearly outlined learning aims and activities. At this CPD event art historian and educator Francesca Herrick will introduce Secondary school teachers to some of the key activities in this resource, including using Archives, Architectural Photography and Curation. In addition, artist educator Alexandra Blum will discuss her approach to drawing, focussing on the ways in which close observation of the relationships between forms encourages both in-depth interaction with architecture and the visualisation of journeys through wider urban spaces. Both Francesca and Alexandra will position this content in relation to real life examples of working with students and young people.
All the activities in this event and the associated learning resource are suitable for learning in the classroom and can also be used by students independently at home.
RSVP: To reserve a space, please email education@courtauld.ac.uk with the following information: Your full name, School name and full address.