Any advice for a very creative kid being 'squashed' by school?

[Mookatron]

DD started in the juniors this year. I'm not especially fond of the school, it's fine but quite strict. The work they're doing is really boring and dry and I appreciate that is the fault of the government. My problem is that DD is not very academic. She bumbles along in the middle, which is fine, but her self esteem is getting lower and lower because the things she is good at are pretending, making up stories, acting and other creative/artistic things and those things are just not prioritised at school.

She does drama classes outside of school but even they are quite structured/restrictive. Does anyone have any ideas of activities we can either do together or sign her up for that allow kids a bit of time for creative freedom? I feel like she's slowly being squashed.

Thanks in advance

Yeah, make belief isn’t going to benefit her much in real life. She needs to learn the syllabus and learn to deal with the fact we all have to do things in life that are necessary but not what we want to do.

Encourage her make believe and her stories and singing and art at the weekends or through extra curricular activities

Make believing and having confidence that we are all different and that some people aren't academic but creative gained my dd a place at a world famous specialist school, where she is thriving.
So I can't agree with Fabaunt That attitude is the way to stop creativity.
I'd never tell a child they have to do things in life they don't want to.
They need to work out the things that are important to them, the rest of the things they have to do will be minimum then.

She does drama classes outside of school but even they are quite structured/restrictive.

Have you tried running an activity for a bunch of kids without it being structured? The result would be chaos, not creativity. The same is true at school. It's a lovely idea, to just 'let kids be creative'. In practice, with a normal-sized class, it's not easy to do.
My dc went to a drama group outside of school, but they've quit because it was no fun. The group-leaders had to make it increasingly structured and strict because if they don't, the kids just muck about and misbehave.
Maybe some kind of arty class would be better?

Fabaunt I completely disagree with you. If we did not foster make believe and creative thinking we would not have discovered all sorts of medicines, invented new technologies or understood anything about the human condition. So feel free to think that but that wasn't my question (and is why I did not put this thread in 'education'). You'll not I was asking for extra curricular activity ideas - but not from you, thanks, as you clearly have no imagination. Thanks for your post @romanyroots.

@knittink yes I appreciate there has to be some amount of structure. I wasn't just slagging off school - I'd like a way to help her feel good about herself.

Most schools are now unfortunately only interested in sats and just teach children to pass them. It's awful - what's wrong with using imagination, painting and writing stories even doing music? This country has it all wrong regarding primary education

Get her to make and write books; put on 'shows' at home (I find this hilarious!). Tell stories in the round (one person starts, talks for a minute or so, then it moves round to the next person, great in the car). Theatre shows for kids (particularly the smaller non-commercial ones are fabulous for engaging imagination. Am sure you have lots of craft stuff but I find setting it up or having a regular time to take it out really helps or get one of those craft idea books.

If you can find your local hippy dippy arts centre then they may have some classes or activities. I did a wonderful art class when 7/8 where we pinned a roll of wallpaper to the wall and painted over the whole thing (am now a boring corporate lawyer but those skills are as useful as anything I learnt - accessing your creative, experimental, problem solving side is massively important in many wlaks of life).

Unless you want to raise an expendable high level drone, I'd suggest make believe is the most important thing you can possibly encourage in your child. A computer will always be able to do times tables faster than a human. Knowledge is found in books. The capacity to be creative, visionary and empathetic is the one advantage humans will have over automation in the coming decades.
OP, maybe try local arts organizations for activities? Lots of them have child focused programs. Otherwise, just lots of reading (whatever she likes), take her to art galleries and play her music, and reassure her that her creativity is a good thing!

Oh another great one is to go to a gallery and take paper and pens/pencils and then get her to do her version of her favourite painting. My DD LOVES this. Going to a big gallery pre Christmas and spotting all the nativity paintings.

These are great ideas, thanks (and thanks for the less depressing outlooks).

OP, the best advice I could give is to encourage your dd with anything she wants to do. Facilitate arts and crafts, painting, drawing, Music, Dance and of course her Drama.
You won't find much at school, it is a fact that the gov don't think the creative industries need investment through the education of children. It becomes more obvious when they reach secondary imo.
in the short term take her to museums, art galleries, and perhaps a local Panto or Christmas show/ concert.
it goes without saying that FC could bring Arty things at Christmas.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34066941
This is interesting - chartered accountants are at 95% risk of having their job automated. Jobs that require negotiation, or original thought (skills gained through make believe play) are the least likely to be automated. All schools should be nurturing creativity as a matter of urgency to safeguard their pupils' economic futures.

How about baking at home and letting her decorate?
What about a children's choir?
An art club of some sort?

iwantasofa that's a really interesting tool (and slightly terrifying given how much value the arts is given at school).

I had forgotten there's a local kids' choir Seeline. Thanks for reminding me, I'll get in touch with them.

I'm still amazed at how the default seems to be gain your GCSE's in as many academic subjects as you can, with maybe the odd creative subject as respite from the academic. Not because the child might actually be creative.
GCSE's are important but not the be all and end all.
There are plenty kids who gain places at colleges to study creative subjects with the bare min passes at GCSE.
I feel sorry for creative kids who don't get the support at home and those whose parents don't see the benefit.

Yes I agree @RomanyRoots. Often the extra-curricular creative stuff is £££ as well.

Secondary might be better if you choose your school carefully.

My dcs go to a Comp. My dcs love drama. The school they go to highly values the Arts - it pushes Drama as a whole school activity. Taking part in the whole school production earns you very cool Brownie points.this includes, the costumes, light dept, sound dept, orchestra and Art Dept (all are populated by the children). It's a massive thing.

As well as this there are mini school dramas, concerts, musicals going on throughout the year.

There are 103 clubs including a 'change and create' scheme where any pupil can put forward the idea for a club and help run it (if there's interest). There could be an 'improv club'?

Anyway, that's my school but I wanted to just say that there are schools still doing great stuff with the arts.

How about looking for an improv class? They are increasingly popular and available (including for younger children). A different type of creative outlet could be some sort of forest school; some local wildlife trusts and national trust places run activities and could be a great place to use her imagination and build her confidence.

Great idea about improv EvadneLannis. They never do any at her drama class, maybe I need to look for a different one. As for secondary, there are few good arty schools around but secondary applications feels like such a scrum! Sometimes wonder if I have it in me to be a modern assertive parent!

If not inside the school then do it outside, the competition is growing bigger and bigger. Thousands of people compete but only a few are chosen.