Isaac Newton Primary School in Grantham given Artsmark Silver Award

A primary school has received a prestigious award for developing its arts and culture provision.

Isaac Newton Primary School received the Artsmark Silver Award for exploring how children could express their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic and how the upheavals in their daily lives had affected them.

The Artsmark Award, which celebrates its 20 year anniversary this year, is the only creative quality standard for schools, accredited by Arts Council England.

It supports schools to develop and celebrate arts and cultural education, putting creativity and wellbeing at the heart of the curriculum,ensuring every young person can be creative and access a diverse, high-quality cultural education.

Chloe Clark, art teacher at Isaac Newton, said: “We are elated to receive the Artsmark Silver Award. We have so many talented children and teachers at Isaac Newton School which should be celebrated.

“I have always been passionate about the arts and I recognise the importance, value and opportunities given by them.

“It gives young people and children a voice and safe creative platform, enabling them to express what they want to say or how they feel which, post Covid, has been very curative for many of our children.

“Our children have been inspired by good teaching and exciting experiences and this is what Artsmark is all about. It’s been my pleasure to work with them all through this artistic journey and I’m very excited about our next steps.”

In order to achieve their Artsmark Award, Isaac Newton School had to develop their arts and culture provision to embed a broad and ambitious curriculum. This was achieved by creating an overall plan that was committed to and delivered across the whole school.

Isaac Newton School was supported by The Mighty Creatives in planning and developing their objectives.

A statement from Artsmark, giving feedback to the school, said: “'Your Artsmark journey, like so many others during this time, was very much informed by Covid limitations but also some staff changes, with three different headteachers over the period that you worked on Artsmark.

“Post-Covid, your focus became more about rebuilding the school community, exploring how children could express their experience of the many changes that had affected them, including moving from home schooling back to being back at school.

“You have used the arts very much within this context of building a positive learning environment, rich in stimulating experiences.”

Whole school creative days have been introduced for both art and DT, generating chances to talk, to collaborate and have fun while learning across the whole school. This has included parents too.

David Milner, headteacher, said: “We are extremely proud of achieving our Artsmark Silver Award. The pupils have really engaged with the process.

“I would like to thank in particular Mrs Clark for all her hard work with the children. We are committed to delivering a high-quality arts and cultural education and we look forward to continuing to grow with Artsmark.”

Dr Darren Henley CBE, chief executive of the Arts Council, said: “I would like to congratulate Isaac Newton Primary School on their Artsmark Award.

“Becoming an Artsmark school demonstrates that through offering a broad, ambitious, and creative curriculum, every pupil can develop character and resilience, increasing their knowledge, curiosity and skills that will remain with them through to adult life.”