PUPILS and staff at Hexham First School are celebrating after achieving the Artsmark Award – the Arts Council England’s recognition for schools that champion arts and culture in the classroom.

Artsmark, which is recognised by Ofsted, demonstrates that a school champions and delivers high-quality arts, helping unlock the potential of children and young people by increasing their knowledge, skills, and understanding of the arts.

The award provides a clear framework for teachers to plan, develop and evaluate arts provision across the curriculum within a whole school improvement plan. Schools are then awarded silver, gold or platinum Artsmark levels.

Headteacher Becky Jackson said: “The Artsmark Award Gold is clear recognition of our commitment to providing all of our children with art and cultural experiences of the highest quality. This is only the beginning – we have our sights firmly set on achieving the Artsmark Award platinum in 2019.”

More than 200 schools in the North-East are working towards the award and the region has the highest proportion of schools undertaking Artsmark in England.

Hexham First School was commended for teaching arts and culture explicitly and in a cross-curricular way that is accessible to even the most vulnerable pupils. The strong links the school has developed with local partners, including Beamish Museum, Seven Stories, Queen’s Hall Hexham and Opera North were recognised by the awarding panel. The evidence of impact on pupil’s literacy levels was also noted.

Congratulating the school on becoming an Artsmark School, Darren Henley, chief executive of Arts Council England, said: “To become an Artsmark School, Hexham First School had to demonstrate its dedication to the arts. It has put together an ambitious plan which will ensure each of its pupils is given the opportunity to explore and build a love of the arts that will remain with them as they go through adult life.”