We are proud and delighted to announce that Sidcot School has been awarded the Artsmark Gold award for a second time (we were first awarded the Gold Artsmark in 2009).
Artsmark is a recognition from the Arts Council for the excellent Arts provision that Sidcot provides across the board, from nursery to IB, and from creative digital technology to dance.
We do have fantastic facilities, no one can argue against that, but it is the energetic team of dedicated staff and students willing to get involved which this award recognises. Large numbers of students take individual music and drama lessons. We stage great productions that involve both juniors and seniors, we get enviable examination results, and very large numbers of students attend an impressive range of creative activities outside lessons times – glass, jewellery, rock band, improvisation, film club, to mention but a few. Most schools only apply for the primary or secondary phase, we are recognised for both. Gaining award makes us a top school for the arts.
The award is not just for the teaching of the arts, but for the way in which we incorporate creativity throughout the school.
Joann Millar, who must be congratulated for pulling together the application for this award, writes: “For those students wanting to experience a broad and exciting creative education – for all the subjects – Sidcot is the place for them. The application confirms that creative thinking and learning is highly regarded at Sidcot, where subject teachers do their utmost to incorporate creativity through their teaching, for students to demonstrate their learning and achievement through creative means, and that the whole school is acutely and actively aware of the diversity of our students, cultures and personal and academic aptitudes.”
“We are thrilled to be recognised for our enhancement of subjects with the arts, that our wide range of learners are catered for, and that such a high proportion of our students participate in this area which is so ruthlessly being cut and isolated by the government.”
Our thanks to Jo, and to all the teachers and students at Sidcot whose gifts of time and talent are justly recognised by this award.