IOE academics among team behind creation of National Portrait Gallery’s new Schools hub

Over 150 free resources, created by artists and subject experts, explore the stories of those who have shaped British history and society today. All linked to the National Curriculum, the learning and video resources are designed to support those studying and teaching Art and Design and History through portraiture. 

The resources respond to the findings of a survey conducted by the National Portrait Gallery which revealed that educators are proactively seeking better resources to help them teach about under-represented stories related to identity and Black British history, the British Empire, colonialism and migration. 

Thomas Jones, a Lecturer in Art and Design Education at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, worked as part of the project advisory group to develop the hub, and advised on the content that should form the free resources. 

Lesley Burgess, Honorary Associate Professor at IOE, acted as a content advisor in the hub’s learning resource production team. 

Mr Jones said:

"The National Portrait Gallery's new Schools hub is a significant resource that will enrich learning in Art and Design classrooms across the country. Throughout its development, the National Portrait Gallery has been committed to deep engagement with the education sector to promote an inclusive and innovative approach to its Collections.

"The resources in Schools hub take an accessible and exploratory approach to portraiture that will benefit teachers and learners alike. It balances the specificity and power of Art and Design as a subject, whilst fostering productive links and critical conversations across other areas of the curriculum."

Liz Smith, Director of Learning and Engagement at the National Portrait Gallery, said:

"The National Portrait Gallery's new Schools hub has been specifically designed to support teachers and learners as they navigate the National Curriculum, providing classes and groups with creative ways into their chosen topics and subjects through the exploration of our Collection.

"These unique resources, which support both school-based and remote teaching and learning through our national Collection, perfectly complement our in-Gallery workshops, and in the Gallery's reopening year, I am so proud to present such a thorough offer, which I hope will be of great use to schools across the UK as it continues to grow over the many years to come." 

Links 

• National Portrait Gallery Schools hub 
• Thomas Jones’s academic profile
• Lesley Burgess's academic profile
• Department of Culture, Communication and Media 

Image 

• Top: 'How to create a storytelling portrait using collage ' demonstration from the Schools hub resources. Copyright: National Portrait Gallery.
• Bottom: 'How to draw a portrait' artist demonstration from the Schools hub resources. Copyright: National Portrait Gallery.