Artsmark

Leadership

Artsmark settings’ development and improvement plans clearly demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the quality of provision and the breadth of arts and cultural education offered across the whole setting.  Clear milestones and methods of evaluating impact are in place.

We believe that photography helps to develop creative thinking skills, problem-solving, team-work, engagement and self-expression.  We co-develop our programmes to cover areas of study and to meet school development priorities, embedding evaluation and impact assessment into all projects.

​​Curriculum Design

Artsmark settings firmly embed the value and impact of a broad arts and cultural curriculum in the curriculum across the whole setting.

Photoworks supports curriculum design by providing stimulus for learning across the curriculum to meet school priorities.  Our programmes give schools the opportunity to access some of the best of photography. Teachers can develop these ideas further and identify their own opportunities for differentiation and extension.

​​Continued Professional Development

Artsmark settings provide evidence of a clear commitment to CPD across the breadth of arts and culture for all members of staff, and allocate appropriate resources for this.

Photoworks programmes provide CPDL in photography theory and practice applicable across the curriculum – both inside and beyond the classroom.  Our programmes develop teachers’ skills and confidence at all levels in order to leave a legacy of creative teaching and learning embedded in the school.  Our artist facilitators are all practicing artists.

Children and Young People Engagement

In Artsmark settings, all children and young people can talk enthusiastically about, and demonstrate their knowledge, skills, understanding and experience of a broad range of high quality arts and cultural provision.  The setting uses the Quality Principles to plan and measure the impact of engagement.

Photoworks’ Learning programmes put children and young people at the centre, ensuring that they feel ownership and can contribute.  Resources give children and young people from a range of backgrounds and needs opportunities to engage, reflect and review high quality photography from around the world.

Range of offer

Artsmark settings demonstrate that they provide wide-ranging and high quality arts and cultural experiences, during and outside normal teaching hours, for all children and young people.

Photoworks learning programmes support a culture of creativity in school.

Partnerships

Artsmark settings demonstrate that they understand the value of working with a broad range of partners to provide and deliver high quality arts and cultural education.

​​Photoworks has extensive experience and expertise around working flexibly in partnership with schools to co-develop programmes of student and teacher activity that meet school priorities.  Teachers are encouraged to build relationships with us and other teachers over the long term and share practice and learning.

Equality and Diversity

Artsmark settings’ Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) evidence, or equivalent evidence, demonstrates a commitment to equality of education and the opportunity for all children and young people with protected characteristics (as defined in the Equality Act 2010) to take part in arts and cultural experiences.

Photoworks champions inclusivity and relevance throughout our programme. We prioritise learning opportunities for those with protected characteristics and have particular experience of working with vulnerable children and young people. In 2020 we made a public commitment that at least half of our programme will feature or support Black or PoC artists by April 2022 reflecting our work with artists from around the world, as well as our ambition to reflect the communities within which we work. This in turn gives pupils and students a greater understanding of the world, contributing towards Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) learning and enriching Cultural Capital.

Values and Ethos

Artsmark settings actively promote a life-long love for learning and enjoyment of arts and culture through a range of experiences and opportunities.  This is reflected in the setting’s environment, ethos and the shared language used to celebrate and promote their achievements in arts and culture.

Photoworks programmes enable teachers to link the work to the broader curriculum so that pupils and students can apply their learning in a wider context.