Mrs Francis, Head of Art, spearheaded the application process, ably supported by colleagues in Art, Music and Drama. Here is an extract from the letter which we received on Friday.

'You have an impressive and well-established reputation across arts and culture, including being shortlisted for 'Outstanding School Music Department of the Year.’ Your GCSE Music numbers exceed the national average at the ISM Gold Standard, Fine Art numbers doubled, and Graphic Communication has grown since its launch, from 4 students to 2 classes of 22 pupils. Students have had the opportunity to engage in a plethora of arts and cultural activities and have been provided with opportunities to perform and showcase their work. Examples include the musical, The Producers which sold over 1,000 tickets and raised £14,000 with profits used to update equipment. Pupils visit Pinewood and have also joined after-school workshops gaining valuable leadership opportunities. Staff share their expertise to other schools and the departments provide very good opportunities to showcase students’ work. I would recommend that you now seek out further national platforms so you can share your excellent practice and secure your position as a leading advocate for the importance of arts and culture within schools’

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