Ask most people what schools are for, and they will reach for words like reading, maths, and exams. All important. But there is a quieter argument gaining ground: that creativity is not the extra you sprinkle on top once the “real” learning is done. It is the engine that makes the rest work harder. Here are six reasons creativity deserves a central seat at the table.
1. It teaches children how to think, not just what to know
Facts date quickly. The ability to look at a problem sideways does not. When children are asked to invent, compose, or design, they practise generating options rather than waiting to be handed the right one. That habit of mind travels with them into science labs, boardrooms, and everyday life.
Takeaway: Creative work builds thinkers, not just knowers.
2. It makes difficult subjects stick
A child who writes a poem about the water cycle remembers the water cycle. Creativity gives dry material a hook to hang on. When learning is made, drawn, or performed, it lodges in the memory far more firmly than when it is simply read and repeated back.
Takeaway: Making something is one of the most reliable ways to remember it.
3. It builds resilience quietly
Creative projects rarely work first time. A story needs redrafting, a design needs rebuilding, a piece of music needs another rehearsal. Children learn that a first attempt is a starting point, not a verdict. That is resilience, taught without a single lecture on the subject.
Takeaway: Trial and error in the arts is trial and error for life.
4. It gives every child somewhere to shine
Not every pupil peaks in a spelling test. Give the same class a stage, a sketchbook, or a set of tools and different children come alive. A broad creative offer widens the definition of success, so more pupils find the thing they are good at and enjoy the confidence that follows.
Takeaway: More ways to succeed means more children who feel capable.
5. It prepares children for the work that is coming
The jobs today’s pupils will do include many that do not yet exist. What we can predict is that they will reward originality, adaptability, and the ability to collaborate on messy, open-ended problems. Schools that treat creativity seriously are, in effect, doing quiet careers preparation. Many forward-thinking schools now build this into everyday lessons rather than saving it for a dedicated art hour, and families exploring a school that treats creativity as central to a rounded education often notice the difference in how confidently children approach the unfamiliar.
Takeaway: Creativity is a practical skill, not a luxury.
6. It makes school somewhere children want to be
There is a simple point that often gets overlooked. Creative learning is enjoyable. A child who looks forward to the day engages more, absorbs more, and behaves better. Enjoyment is not the opposite of rigour; it is often what fuels it.
Takeaway: Children learn more when they want to turn up.
Where this leaves us
None of this asks schools to abandon core subjects. The argument is that creativity should sit alongside them as an equal, feeding numeracy, literacy, and everything else rather than competing with them for space. Settings such as Bishopsgate School show what it looks like when the arts, sport, and academic work are treated as a single connected whole rather than rival demands on the timetable.
If you are weighing up what to look for in a school, ask how creativity runs through the ordinary week, not just the summer show. You can see one example of the approach at https://bishopsgateschool.com.
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*This article was contributed on behalf of Bishopsgate School, an independent preparatory school in Surrey educating children through the early years and prep stages. Bishopsgate School is known for combining strong academic foundations with a broad creative, sporting, and outdoor education, set within its own woodland grounds near Englefield Green.*
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