Congratulations to the 11 New Artsmark Schools in Yorkshire & Humber

WELL DONE That’s from the whole team at IVE to the 11 newly awarded Artsmark schools making 73 schools in Yorkshire & Humber with an Artsmark award.

The Artsmark is a great achievement that shows the superb work in delivering arts & cultural education that these schools are doing, and we’re delighted to thank them for their efforts.

The newly awarded schools are:

Artsmark Gold

Wombwell Park Street Primary School

“The panel commend your very positive “can do” ethos in your determination to achieve your Artsmark goals. You have found creative ways to achieve your goal of promoting multimedia opportunities by developing the role of Creative Leader for multimedia despite budgetary constraints. It was very gratifying to read how reading has been used to support achievement in the Arts and the Arts used to support and develop basic skills including reading. Your curriculum design is clearly a strength of the school and as is the work of the schools Art Council who plan inspiring and engaging enrichment opportunities for the pupils. The panel welcomed your practice in promoting the Arts as a career of choice using professional artists working in your school.”

Rowley Lane Junior Infant and Nursery School

“The panel commends your whole school approach to curriculum design, senior leader support, and the embedded nature of Arts Award within the school. There are local and national arts and cultural visits in and out of school, and ample opportunities for showcasing pupil work across the curriculum.”

Stannington Infant School

“The panel highly commends your sustained and continuing commitment to the arts, and the ongoing aspiration to develop a range of quality artistic and cultural experiences for the pupils at Stannington Infant School. During your Artsmark journey, you have raised the profile of the Arts further within your own school community, and beyond, through partnerships with, for example, Sheffield Children’s Hospital and the Young Voices project. Your Case Study clearly evidences the positive impact that arts and cultural opportunities are having on pupils’ confidence, self-esteem and independent learning. The development of your music provision has ensured that staff have access to quality teaching resources which ensure pupils’ progression in skills. The panel also noted the development of your Arts Award scheme to give greater opportunity to pupils to participate in this accreditation scheme and celebrate their arts and cultural learning.”

Artsmark Silver

Birkwood Primary School

“Your Statement of Commitment demonstrates that your school is clearly committed to the arts. Your music offer is a particular strength, supported by the sustained partnership with Grimethorpe Colliery Band, which recognises the heritage of your locality, and has had a positive impact on pupil participation.”

Concord Junior School

“Throughout the Artsmark process, you have strengthened your provision for visual art through the utilisation of your specialist, professional artist-in-residence to teach across the school and, due to the appointment of your specialist music teacher, pupils have improved access to instrumental tuition and are building on their musical skills over time. Arts provision has been further increased through the extension to extra-curricular arts opportunities for pupils. A further notable impact of your Artsmark journey is the improved parental engagement as a result of your growing work with a local arts partner.”

Cudworth Churchfield Primary School

“You have made a few positive steps on your Artsmark journey, establishing the value of the Arts as ‘hooks’ for the children’s curiosity and engagement in Project Based Learning, expanding the range of performances and increasing parental engagement.”

Savile Town Church of England Voluntary Controlled Infant and Nursery School

“Savile Town CofE School have made great use of Artsmark as a means of introducing an enquiry led learning focus. To help with this they have forged a strong partnership with Artis who have been instrumental in modelling excellent arts inputs which have definitely left learners feeling inspired and confident. Parents and governors have also noticed the shift in pupil outlook and their renewed enthusiasm for learning; the Case Study includes many helpful quotes to illustrate this point. Work with Musica has also opened up singing opportunities for children. By far the biggest impact has been a shift towards a more integrated curriculum, one where the Arts can help deliver strong learning outcomes in all subjects.”

South Milford Primary School

“South Milford Primary School’s Case Study was an excellent account of the school’s journey so far, placing a premium on honest reflection at the outset and setting achievable goals. The additional arts opportunities offered to learners have ranged from competitions to themed weeks providing innovative and new experiences for children. This included Roald Dahl Week, working with a drama group to provide workshops that explored elements of the story. All children had a linked art project, ranging from 3D modelling of crocodiles in KS1 to using perspective for drawing buildings in KS2.”

Tranmere Park Primary School

“Tranmere Park Primary School have built on their previous Artsmark experience, renewing the commitment to the Arts in their school. The school report increased confidence among teachers in utilising a wider range of artforms than before, and have brought in a range of external support from an art graduate to a block printer to enhance the quality of provision. The school identified gaps in some art forms and sought to fill those – 3D art and clay work was very popular with learners.”

Westerton Primary Academy

“Your school has seen significant changes in organisation and staffing and your approach to the Arts has developed admirably. It is excellent that you have seen the benefits of the Arts in raising literacy standards and supporting SEMH pupils, and there have been positive developments such as your Art Gallery evening, staff choir, celebration assemblies for pupils and parents and changing homework policy to encourage the Arts at home. It is good that you recognise that the journey has just begun.”

An Artsmark award represents a terrific achievement at any level, demonstrating that this is a school that delivers high-quality arts and cultural provision for all pupils and is committed to working to improve how the arts are taught and viewed in schools.

We reached out to Louise Longden, the Deputy Head at Wombwell Park Street Primary School, for her thoughts about achieving the Gold award.

“We are incredibly proud that as a school we have maintained our Artsmark Gold status. The arts are very much central to our fantastic curriculum. All members of our school community are passionate about the arts and providing rich opportunities for all children to: engage, experience, create explore and excel. Our work with several creative partners along with some exceptionally talented members of staff has helped develop in our students a love of artistic learning. We are incredibly proud of our pupils who are fully involved with Park Street’s artistic leadership. Our Arts Mark status is a testament to the hard work, drive and ambition of our pupils, staff, parents and governors. Go Team Park Street!”

IVE’s Cultural Education Director, Sarah Mumford, added:

“I’m always happy to see ever more schools in Yorkshire & Humber achieving Artsmark. Every award shows yet another school that understands the value the arts has for young people. The comments from our new Gold Award Heads are particularly cheering as they clearly see first hand how the arts are helping their pupils become happy, healthy, confident and well rounded people.”

Artsmark is a creative quality standard that serves as a practical and valuable tool for enriching a school’s arts provision. It has been designed by schools, for schools, to align with School Improvement Plans and give the curriculum breadth and balance.

Artsmark schools make a commitment to providing high-quality arts and cultural opportunities for all pupils. They use the arts to inspire learning and develop happy, successful and confident children and young people.

In Yorkshire and the Humber, they are supported in this objective with guidance and advice from us as their regional bridge organisation and other Artsmark schools through regular networking events. They also receive resources, FREE CPD sessions and access to special offers and discounts from arts organisations.

If you’re interested in joining the Artsmark scheme you can learn more on our Artsmark page. We’ve also compiled a number of case studies of the different benefits Artsmark can have for schools.