The structured programme aims to develop drama skills, ignite creative thinking and foster an appreciation of the Arts.
The Arts Award syllabus will be delivered to Upper Fourth girls during academic lessons, making the qualification accessible to all.

Girls will be encouraged to develop a range of drama skills from analysing and interpreting scripts to reviewing live theatre and undertaking an independent research project. Girls will also have access to a variety of practical performance opportunities culminating in the opportunity to create an original piece of drama in groups in the Summer Term.

Pupils will take ownership of their learning journey through a creative evidence file, which will be presented to an external moderator during the Summer Term and the aim will be for every girl to achieve a Bronze qualification by the end of the academic year.

Director of Drama, Mrs Kirsty Richardson said, “We are very excited to be introducing the Arts Award to the girls at Downe House. Not only will this give pupils the opportunity to widen their drama skills, they will also hone valuable transferable skills through communication and leadership, as they tackle a variety of independent learning tasks. Arts Award supports young people who want to deepen their engagement with the arts and build their creative and leadership skills whilst achieving a nationally-recognised qualification. The girls are really enjoying the lessons so far and are particularly looking forward to welcoming the award-winning theatre company, ‘The Paper Birds’ who will be performing live at Downe House next term. The performance will then form the basis of a raft of activities such as writing critical reviews, analysing performances and methods.”

The awarding body responsible for Arts Award is Trinity College London in association with Arts Council England and since its launch in 2005, the Award has flourished with 355,992 young people achieving awards.(January 2018)