RGS Awarded Platinum Artsmark Award

RGS NEWCASTLE'S PROVISION IN THE ARTS HAS BEEN AWARDED ARTSMARK PLATINUM STATUS IN RECOGNITION OF THE ART AND PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENTS' COMMITMENT TO, AND EXCELLENCE IN, ARTS EDUCATION.

Artsmark is Arts Council England’s award recognising excellence in cultural education. The award celebrates RGS's commitment to embracing the arts across our Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form curriculum, bringing creative learning to life for students through our extensive Co-curricular programme.  

Reflecting on the award win, Headteacher, Geoffrey Stanford said: "The whole school community is proud to achieve this national recognition, which epitomises our values: Love for Learning, Ambition to Succeed and Belief in Each Other. 

"This award reflects the collective passion and dedication of our entire school community to champion the arts as a vital part of life at RGS. I am deeply grateful for the support of our creative staff and talented students. 

"As a school, through our award-winning Art Department, vibrant Performing Arts Department and our expansive Co-curricular programme, we encourage every student to embrace the arts in both their education and outside the classroom to enrich and deepen their understanding of the world and themselves." 
 

Mr Mason, Head of Art, said: “This achievement reflects our deeply held historical legacy belief that every child deserves the opportunity to create, compose, perform, visit, experience, participate in, and review the arts through academic and co-curricular offerings.  

“The arts are not an addition to education; they are central to developing creativity, imagination, confidence, character, thinking and talent. Through our own purposeful endeavours and the Artsmark framework, we have strengthened these opportunities, ensuring the arts remain woven into the fabric of our curricula and our wider school culture. 

“By achieving Platinum status, we can celebrate the fact that we are not only meeting this ambition but leading it - championing creativity across our school and contributing to a thriving wider arts community.”

As of September 2025, 51% of Artsmark schools have achieved Artsmark Silver, 40% Artsmark Gold and just 9% hold Artsmark Platinum.  

Mrs Davison, Head of Drama, said: “Through outreach projects such as our co‑curricular Storytelling Project and the Summer Shakespeare Company, we broaden access and inspire creativity. Our inclusive and carefully structured curriculum at RGS Newcastle further supports students as they grow in skill and confidence.  

“Ample opportunities to perform, create and lead in productions as diverse as Bugsy Malone and Hadestown: Teen Edition help every student to shine. Together, these experiences ensure that Drama continues to build confidence, creativity and collaboration – giving every young person the chance to find their voice and play their part.”

Artsmark is the only creative quality standard for schools, accredited by Arts Council England. It transforms teaching through creativity, empowering teachers with the skills they need to embed arts, culture and creativity across the whole curriculum, and is proven to support pupil outcomes and wellbeing. 

Mr Smith, Director of Music, added: “Music at RGS is a vibrant, unifying force - it builds confidence, nurtures expression, and creates a space where students discover who they are and what they can achieve.  

“This award belongs to our entire community: to our inspiring staff who give so much of their energy and expertise, to our families who support every rehearsal and performance, and most of all to our students, whose passion and commitment make RGS Music so special.” 

Click here to find out more about our Co-curricular programme, which encompasses RGS Art and Performing Arts. Delve into the history of the Arts at RGS by clicking here to explore our RGS500 microsite.