QEGS is delighted to announce its recent achievement of the Silver Artsmark Award, a prestigious accolade from Arts Council England. Artsmark is the only creative quality standard for schools, designed to transform teaching through creativity and empower educators with the skills to embed arts, culture, and creativity across the curriculum.

Receiving the Silver Artsmark Award marks a significant milestone for QEGS. Over the last two years, the school’s Creative Arts faculty has worked extensively to broaden and deepen its arts and cultural provision, developing an ambitious and enriching curriculum that has impacted every level of the school. The school accomplished this by developing and implementing a comprehensive plan that infused creative arts into the educational experience for all students.

QEGS partnered with Goldsmiths, University of London—a renowned leader in creative pedagogy and cultural education—through Artsmark’s immersive learning programme. The guidance and expertise from Goldsmiths helped QEGS refine its approach to arts education, promoting a strong ethos of creativity, collaboration, and aspiration throughout the school.

The Artsmark Assessor commended QEGS for its range of creative arts offerings and the engaging opportunities that foster students’ involvement in the arts. The school’s core values—Care, Contribute, and Aspire—were praised for aligning closely with Artsmark’s mission to inspire and develop young minds.

Dr Darren Henley OBE, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, congratulated QEGS on this achievement, noting: “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.”

Teachers across the Art, Music, Drama, and Design Technology departments expressed immense pride in the students’ enthusiasm for creativity, saying: “We are incredibly proud of how our students have embraced creativity across all disciplines. From Art to Music, DT to Drama, we’ve seen firsthand how integrating arts into the curriculum has unlocked new dimensions of expression, innovation, and collaboration. The Artsmark journey has truly enriched both teaching and learning, helping our students not only develop their skills but also grow in confidence, imagination, and resilience.”

Congratulations to all staff and students involved in this remarkable achievement. The Silver Artsmark Award reflects QEGS’s commitment to fostering a dynamic, creative, and inclusive learning environment that will continue to shape and inspire its students.