As the art coordinator of my primary school – working with children aged 2-7 years – I entered the school into the prestigious Independent Schools Association (ISA) Awards for whole-school delivery of art and design provision.

We won the ISA Award for Excellence and Innovation in Art and Design and were told that the quality of entries was very high and the judges were particularly impressed by the work taking place in our school. This was no mean feat given we were competing against schools who teach across the whole age-range from 2-18 years.

Children and teaching staff embraced art and produced an outstanding delivery of art. From the launch of an annual Summer Exhibition showcasing artwork by each student to the creation of an exciting new gallery of pupils’ artwork, the profile of art within our school has been raised to an exceptionally high level.

In the words of Rudolf Eliot Lockhart, Chief Executive Officer, ISA:

“At Herne Hill School, an extensive provision in art and design offers amazing opportunities for students. Art is used as a tool to inspire learning on the wider issues that young people face within their daily lives. One example of this is the whole school I Pledge project which encouraged students to broaden their understanding of climate change through the creation of interactive artwork.

The vast, innovative and all-round art and design curriculum offers young children the freedom to express their imaginations and advance their own ideas, which is invaluable”