The Creative Arts can educate, communicate and inspire us to know more about ourselves, each other and our place in the world. We, at St. Bede’s, believe in the unique learning opportunities in each interaction provided by participating in the Creative Arts. Essential to the learning is the St Bede’s Way and the way we model the Gospel Values. Combined, they play a crucial role in educating the whole child.

The Creative Arts faculty is committed to providing all students with a quality arts education. It is known that students studying art, music, and drama accrue heightened enjoyment and fulfilment, an increase in skill and knowledge and advances in personal and social development. 

The faculty aim, within all the disciplines, is to excite students to think, create, use their imagination and develop their individual skills. With a faculty that is consistently high achieving, we strive always for excellence in the lower school and both at GCSE and A’ Level. We have teachers that are experts in their field - highly talented and masters of their subject. The mastery is transferred to the lessons as well as the co-curriculum programme and as a result, there is full engagement. This exciting co-curriculum programme, where participation and interest are at its height, is at the heart of our faculty. We aim to continue and grow the students' attendance in this area, with the Post-16 students being a focus. Celebration and recognition of this has come in the form of Arts ties, which is to be continued for the upper school. The lower school has the opportunity to represent and support the faculty by becoming arts ambassadors.  

Collaborative working, in particular with RF, is important in supporting and developing the Christian life at St. Bede’s. This is done widely through the Arts and we develop this with continued performance through assemblies / masses and events throughout the year. 

The progress of all students, including vulnerable groups, in all subjects, is above average and remains a focus for development moving forward. Our individual curricular aims to challenge all students individually and allow them to access a wider breadth of arts history, cultures and genres than they would not usually experience. Art now explores more extensively the work of others from other nationalities worldwide, with a focus on ‘Around the World in Arty Ways.’ 

In all subjects the curriculum is well designed with the knowledge required carefully considered and ordered, with opportunities throughout to expand practice retrieval and strengthen threads running through different topics. Our curriculum is carefully sequenced and evidenced through the faculty’s effective knowledge organisers and are consistently used in conjunction with the day to day teaching and students readily use them to support their learning. 

We update these as our curriculum develops and changes, as we are often allowing the students to react and develop their arts work in response to worldwide events and situations. “Teaching and Learning @ St Bede’s” is always a focus within the faculty and the team has a varied toolkit of practical methods to implement these ideas. The faculty has a culture of constant improvement with the momentum for this coming from the faculty and department leadership, as well as the college varied CPD programme.

Our philosophy is to inspire students to be creative and have confidence in their own ideas, performances, and outcomes. We want students to believe in their imagination and creativity; particularly where it can take them. We expect students to participate to the best of their ability, but we understand that developing skills take time and practice. Students take creative risks. We believe this challenge allows for growth both in their confidence and skill level. Students are encouraged to showcase their achievements, through being entered into professional drama and music exams as well as art / photography competitions and exhibitions; in College, locally and nationally. Each department does this through allowing the students to achieve professional standards which will prepare them for the next stage in their creative journey. 

We have achieved an Artsmark, through work within the faculty and the College as a whole in the form of Arts weeks, demonstrating that the arts can be used to extend knowledge and understanding through the different curriculum areas. 

We build on the long tradition of celebrating artistic talent in our annual ‘whole college’ events and all year round contributions to collective worship and prize giving. The faculty has further developed the well-established high quality education visits and Alumni links.