Young Arts Leader Awards pilot

Summary

This exemplar describes an arts initiative developed to ensure that pupils with exceptional ability in drama and the performing arts achieve their full potential and that this potential is properly acknowledged. We developed an scheme to enhance provision for pupils in the arts that has grown into an excellent model with wider implications for other schools. It is being developed into a formal national award scheme for all pupils involved in arts activity and management.

Identification

The head of drama and performing arts recognised the value of the Duke of Edinburgh Award for young people and noticed that some pupils were identifying their involvement in the arts as part of this scheme. He was also aware of the Youth Sports Award for pupils and realised the benefit in offering something similar for the arts.

Staff drew on elements of the Youth Sports and the DoE Award Schemes. Pupils applied to become involved, have a specific task, be assigned a tutor and were required to record and assess their progress in a logbook. The staff concluded that the scheme would concentrate on the pupils' organisational and administrative abilities within the arts. The pupils would be expected to assist and teach aspects of the subject area, be involved in developing and sustaining arts activities and work on productions. Performance would also
be a requirement.

Description

It was clear to the organisers in the early stage of introducing the project that it needed to attract enough students to make an impact. It was decided that about 20 pupils were appropriate and all talented pupils were given a chance to join the scheme. They were selected on the basis of available data on their performance in the arts, together with the professional knowledge staff had about the pupils' ability and aptitude.

The award centres on pupils taking on a challenge as a result of discussions they have with their teacher. The pupils identify their targets and are responsible for making their improvements in progress. These are to be regarded as moveable baselines, with pupils encouraged to challenge their own targets.
They also recognise their own weaknesses, such as the need for improving their writing skills. The development of language work is an important element within the scheme.

Evaluation

The Young Arts Leader Award scheme was conceived as an approach to extend all pupils to go beyond projected targets and offer real challenge. This is being achieved.