We are proud to announce that we have been awarded the prestigious Gold Artsmark Award.

Artsmark is the only creative quality standard for schools, accredited by Arts Council England. It transforms teaching through creativity, empowering teachers with the skills they need to embed arts, culture and creativity across the whole curriculum, and is proven to support pupil outcomes and wellbeing.  

To achieve their Artsmark Award, our students had to develop their arts and cultural 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.

Forest & Sandridge CofE Primary School has received professional support through an immersive learning programme from Artsmark’s delivery partner, Goldsmiths, University of London, who are world-renowned leaders in creative pedagogy and cultural placemaking.

The Artsmark Assessor commended Forest & Sandridge on Tuesday 8th July 2025, commenting that:

"Forest and Sandridge CE Primary School has made clear and sustained progress during its Artsmark journey, using the arts as a meaningful driver for inclusion, wellbeing and enriched learning. A particular strength lies in the school’s commitment to developing a more structured and intentional arts curriculum, especially within visual arts. Staff have introduced whole-school themes, a shared focus on key artists, and progression through sketchbooks from EYFS to Year 6. Pupils now have regular opportunities to develop technical skills and reflect on their work, and increasing attention is being paid to cultural breadth and critical engagement with artists’ work. Alongside this, the school has invested in creating a dedicated arts space and timetabling regular Art Days, which are used to explore shared themes and celebrate pupil creativity. These days supplement, rather than replace, classroom-based delivery, and contribute positively to whole-school identity and pupil engagement. However, while curriculum intent is well articulated and visibly celebrated, this model is still developing into fully embedded practice. Curriculum delivery varies between art forms and phases, and further consolidation across music, drama, and cross-curricular integration would help ensure long-term consistency and resilience beyond key staff. The school has also built a broad and inclusive range of creative experiences, including choir, dance festivals, theatre visits, woodwork in EYFS, and digital art. Pupils engage enthusiastically and demonstrate pride in their achievements. Positive cultural collaborations have been established with local artists and national institutions (e.g. Take One Picture), although these remain largely focused on enriching pupil experiences rather than co-planned partnerships that influence staff development or strategic planning. As the school continues to embed its creative vision, there is an opportunity to formalise pupil leadership in the arts, building on the high levels of engagement and enthusiasm already present. Establishing structures such as Arts Ambassadors or pupil curation teams would support student voice and deepen ownership. Similarly, evolving current cultural partnerships into longer-term, collaborative relationships could help strengthen curriculum delivery and professional learning in tandem. Forest and Sandridge has used its Artsmark journey to build a strong foundation for the arts, visibly aligned with its wider values. With continued focus on cross-art-form curriculum delivery, strategic collaboration and pupil agency, the school is well placed to sustain and grow its creative provision."

On receiving the award, Headteacher Scott James said:

“We’re extremely proud of achieving our Gold Artsmark Award. We are committed to delivering a high-quality arts and cultural education. Our Artsmark journey has transformed our school and will enable us to continue to inspire the lives of our students.

"Well done to Mr. Bridewell and Mr. Mead for the work that went in to achieving this, not only the application but all the curriculum development and planning or art enrichment experiences.”

Dr Darren Henley OBE, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, said:

“I would like to congratulate Forest & Sandridge CofE Primary School on their Artsmark Award. Creative activities and cultural experiences enrich our lives, open our minds to new possibilities and help us make sense of the world around us. As an awarded Artsmark school, you’re demonstrating that by offering a broad, ambitious and creative curriculum, your young people will develop character and resilience, increasing their knowledge, curiosity and skills that will remain with them through to adult life.”

For more information about Artsmark, click here