by Marie Nee

101 Year 8 students from Blessed William Howard Catholic High School have been awarded the Bronze Arts Award in recognition of their hard work during the last academic year.

The Arts Award, managed by Trinity College London, encourages young people to enjoy and engage with different art forms - from fashion to film making, pottery to music.

To achieve Arts Award at Bronze level, a Level 1 national qualification, students have to collect and collate evidence of their experiences in the arts.

It assesses their knowledge and understanding of the arts, as well as their creativity and communication skills.

To develop their skills as both performers and audience members, students rehearsed and took part in both the carol service at St Austin's Church in Stafford (at Christmas) and the Blessed William Howard Music Festival (in summer).

The students also had an opportunity to watch the school show, ‘The Wizard of Oz’, and to write a review of the performance.

The third project that all students completed was a piece of research into the career and work of a chosen artist.

The final part of the award required students to share their arts skills with other people.

Some students returned to their old primary schools and helped younger children enjoy a new arts experience.

The external Arts Award moderator commented on both the wide variety and high quality of the work produced by the large number of students. He also praised the enthusiasm of students as they spoke positively about their involvement in both music and drama.

“There has clearly been an incredible amount of time and hard work spent on the children’s portfolios. The differing ways in which young people have presented their work is also enjoyable to see,” said Chris Watt, Arts Award Moderator.

The students were pleased with their achievements and proud to be presented with a certificate for their work.

The opportunity is also available for them to continue onto Silver and Gold Awards.