Mansfield academy receives 'prestigious' Artsmark award

The Queen Elizabeth's Academy, on Chesterfield Road South, has been awarded the Artsmark Silver Award for the way it provides a range of art and creativity subjects in its curriculum.

The school had initially bid to achieve the bronze award, but has been recognised by the Artsmark assessors for the way arts has had a "positive impact on students' self-confidence".

Kimberley Willmot, school principal, said: "The academy has developed an engaging arts offer for our students, and we are proud to have been recognised by Artsmark with this award.

"Our initial aim was to secure the bronze-level award, so to surpass that and achieve a silver award is testament to our dedicated staff.

"It is their desire that ensures arts subjects are accessible to all students through our curriculum and enrichment opportunities."

The academy was praised by the assessors for its "dedication", with staff told they should feel "justifiably proud" of their efforts.

The Artsmark assessors said: “You have remained dedicated to developing your arts offer and should feel justifiably proud of the tangible effects of your hard work.

"Staff have continued to use the arts as a means of enriching the curriculum for pupils, organising visits to local arts and cultural venues, including a cross-curricular visit to the National Holocaust Centre, and theatre trips to see Macbeth and Blood Brothers.

"You have extended your arts offer, with significant improvements to the music curriculum so that students in key stages 3 and 4 now have regular opportunities to create, compose and perform.

“Through your collaboration with ‘Inspire’, and by renewing links with Nottinghamshire Music Hub, a range of instrumental tuition is now offered.

"As a result of all your efforts, student uptake of the Arts has increased significantly and is having a positive impact on students’ self-confidence.

"Parental engagement has improved as a consequence of the use of social media and the school website to promote arts learning.

"Students’ opportunities to present their work to audiences have increased at national and local events, such as the MAT’s arts showcase."