Pupils and staff at Dagenham Park CofE School are celebrating after receiving a prestigious Platinum Artsmark Award.



Artsmark is the only creative quality standard for schools, accredited by Arts Council England. It supports them to develop and celebrate arts and cultural education across the whole curriculum, bringing learning to life for children and young people.



Headteacher, Chris Ash, said: "I am delighted and proud that Dagenham Park has been awarded Artsmark Platinum status. Having worked in Barking and Dagenham for almost 30 years, I have always been impressed with the creative talents in the borough.”

"At Dagenham Park, we have designed a curriculum to ensure our students can express their creativity and this award is an acknowledgement of this. I would like to thank all the staff, students, parents and carers for their hard work and support during this journey."

The school has a strong history in the arts, having been a specialist arts college and moving to achieve an Artsmark Gold Award in 2017. Its outstanding arts offer includes collaboration with organisations such as The Royal Ballet, The Barbican and Laban and provides outreach to primary schools.



Councillor Evelyn Carpenter, Cabinet Member for School Improvement and Educational Attainment, said: “I’m delighted that Dagenham Park CofE School has had their hard work and creativity recognised with this prestigious award.”

“It’s great to see pupils unlocking their potential through art and I’d like to congratulate everyone involved.”