Pupils and staff at Nelson Academy are celebrating after receiving a prestigious Gold Artsmark Award.  

Artsmark is the only creative quality standard for schools, accredited by Arts Council England. It supports them to develop and celebrate arts and cultural education across the whole curriculum, bringing learning to life for children and young people.  

To achieve their Artsmark Award, Nelson Academy 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.  

Nelson Academy received professional support and training throughout their two years and developed partnerships with PEACH, Art UK’s Superpower of Looking, and Academies across the EMAT Trust. 

The Artsmark assessor commended Nelson Academy on the arts being “frequently used to access learning in other subjects - fully embedded across the curriculum” They also celebrated the collaborations with other schools such as the Coronation exhibition at Stories of Lynn.  

On receiving the award, Sarah Wilson Academy Principal said: “We’re extremely proud of achieving our Artsmark Gold Award. 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 OBE, Chief Executive of the Arts Council, said:  

“I would like to congratulate Nelson Academy on their Artsmark Award. Becoming an Artsmark school demonstrates that through offering a broad, ambitious and creative curriculum, young people have the opportunity to develop character and resilience, increasing their knowledge, curiosity and skills that will remain with them through to adult life.”