Pipers awarded gold Artsmark Award

Pipers has been awarded the Artsmark at Gold Level, in recognition of our commitment to the Arts.

The Artsmark Award is accredited by the Arts Council England, and is the only creative standard for educational settings. The award encourages schools and other settings to develop their commitment to arts and cultural education, helping to embed the arts throughout the curriculum.

In feedback, the Arts Council said: “There is no doubt Pipers Corner School is totally committed to the Arts.”

Focusing on the past two years, our application looked at the different opportunities for students to get involved with the Arts, as well as our impact on the community. One of the greatest success stories was the Literary Festival, with a variety of authors and speakers, to encourage the love of literature with our students and the local community. We were also commended for our teachers’ efforts to continue to provide high quality arts education over lockdown, with art and DT projects being sent home, and our Dance Show and Year 6 production being filmed in ‘bubbled’ groups for virtual dissemination.

Our ongoing commitment to the Arts is demonstrated through our oversubscribed extra-curricular activities. Pipers Radio is a firm favourite among students, enabling them to produce and present their own radio shows using industry-standard equipment. The uptake for the Gold Arts Award is high, students have organised a charitable fashion show for Rennie Grove Hospice Care, as well as a Musical Theatre afternoon to support Brain Tumour Trust. Furthermore, our students are encouraged to enter competitions, placing first, second and third in the local Rotary Arts Competition.

Since 2014, over 30% of Sixth Form students went on to study the arts after leaving Pipers, with impressive destinations including Central St Martins, RADA, Goldsmiths and the Oxford School of Drama. Most recently, we organised a Performing Arts Industry Event focusing on the variety of careers in this sector.