We are excited to develop our creative curriculum even further and have continued on our journey this year to finally achieve the ‘Artsmark Silver Award.’(Artsmark is the creative quality standard for schools, accredited by Arts Council England).
This was some of the feedback sent to us by the Artsmark Assessors:
‘You have set down solid foundations for the Arts as part of your school’s approach to curriculum delivery and extra-curricular enrichment. This has led to increased participation of boys in arts activities, particularly in dance and in singing. You are committed to ensuring children have the chance to experience live arts in cultural settings beyond school and continue to work with local theatres to provide such opportunities. CPD has helped teachers improve their confidence and skills in dance, with one teacher changing the emphasis of their current MA as a result of participating. Children’s disposition to learning seems to have improved in some areas – teachers are noting that as a result of engaging in the Arts there is a deeper connection to learning opportunities and wanting to do their best rather than lose focus. One teacher remarked: ‘I observed very positive changes in my pupil’s behaviour. Especially boys! I was worried that they were not going to participate properly but they really surprised me’. The school sees the benefit that the Arts has had on pupil’s behaviour and also on attendance, which was one of your strategic aims. With these foundations laid you are in a strong position to move forward.
