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North Lakes School win the ‘Golden Apple’ Education and Learning Award for Innovation in the Arts 2011.
North Lakes School win the ‘Golden Apple’ Education and Learning Award for Innovation in the Arts 2011.
The judges were delighted to see such a high standard in this, the first year of a new award, and that the finalists had really raised the bar on the expectations.
The judges said ‘North Lakes School is a wonderful example of what can be achieved through dedication and hard work. This achievement is simply on a scale not known in many other schools. This school certainly knows how to motivate and inspire students’
North Lakes School in Penrith is a flagship school when it comes to the arts. It is recognised nationally for its work, not only at the school itself but also via its links with at least 10 others across the Eden area involving hundreds of school children of all ages.
North Lakes School has also had input on influential debates nationally on the future of music education and singing in schools. It is a Sing Up! Platinum school and has been given the Artsmark Gold Award, an accolade in recognition of its commitment and innovation in the arts. It is the highest award achievable from the Arts Council and is given to schools which give at least 15 per cent of the curriculum over to the arts.
The school’s passion for the arts is because leaders believe that children who think creatively and independently are more likely to discover things for themselves, to be open to new ideas and to be motivated to pursue topics of interest. They also believe it helps children develop self-confidence and build up key learning skills. The school has been a Creative Partnership Change School for the past two years and has worked with a range of practitioners to develop creative skills and attributes and pupil voice.
Not only does it provide opportunities for children, the school’s work also offers staff and adults the chance to develop their skills by working with professional musicians, conductors and other practitioners. The Arts Co-ordinators are training to become assessors for Arts Mark, which will allow the school to share good practice with others across the north west of England. The school has also hosted twilight training sessions for more than 40 school staff from across Cumbria. In music, every one of its 150 pupils learned to play a woodwind instrument during the last academic year. This year, years five and six are continuing to play.’'
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