The Artsmark Award, recognises the work undertaken by schools in developing arts and cultural provision, thus embedding a broad and ambitious curriculum.

Staff have worked hard here to develop provision, which has included developing partnerships with a range of primary and secondary schools in the UK, and an international twinning partnership with GEMS-Al-Khail school in Dubai.

We have been pleased to receive the following positive feedback from the  Artsmark Assessor ….

‘You have used this Artsmark journey to strengthen your outreach work, supporting, influencing and shaping the practice of others beyond your setting. It will be really exciting to hear about the outcomes of the recently introduced Twinning Programme in the visual arts with another setting in Dubai with a member from your Visual Arts department being permanently based there. 

Your ambition to create an Arts Hub for the community, where you can support other settings and share your resources and knowledge is to be applauded. Much work has been done to support the primary sector through leading and delivering training, such as how to teach drawing and delivering workshops to settings from the private sector. In addition, you share your studios to help primary settings to create large installations which are displayed in their own schools. How wonderful.

The appointment of new senior staff in the arts is making an impact and perhaps the most striking are your 2023 GCSE Music results with 100% of students achieving Grade 5 to 9. The introduction of Arts Scholarships at KS 5 is not only helping to retain existing students and attract new ones but, it is also sending a clear message of the value you place on the arts to the community.  Within school, the arts are used to link different departments. For example, the English department working with the Music and Drama team to deliver a ‘Night of Shakespeare’ and the PE and Design and Technology Departments working together on a ‘Dance Live’ competition.’