Curious Minds | Leading the Arts in your School

It's time to shape your school's journey in culture and the arts...

Leading the Arts in Your School is a modular arts leadership programme for teachers who wish to develop their school’s arts and cultural offer.

With sessions from January - June 2025, this course has been designed for early to mid-career teaching staff - in any education setting or phase.

We're looking for educators who understand and are excited by the potential of arts-based pedagogy, with ambition and drive to use the arts and culture to make a significant improvement across their whole school.

However you currently use creativity within your teaching practice, this is a chance to reinvigorate your methodologies, to learn and share best practice whilst developing your skills and confidence in becoming an arts leader. You’ll leave this course ready to advocate for the importance of the arts within learning environments, and to empower others in your school to do the same.

"A complete education is a creative education."

Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

As the upcoming Curriculum Review looks to put Expressive Arts subjects such as music, art and drama back at the heart of learning, this is an opportunity to stay ahead of curriculum changes and have the skills to implement them effectively.

Who is this training for?

We're looking for educators who want to cultivate culture, creativity and curiosity in their students. You might already use creativity within your teaching practice, or you might have been given an arts-based responsibility that you need support and inspiration fulfilling.

We welcome early to mid-career teaching professionals across all educational settings, whether Nursery, Primary or Secondary, including SEND and PRU. No prior experience being a school arts lead is necessary.

The course is a particularly useful development opportunity for schools that are considering or undertaking the Artsmark Award, or for a recently appointed Artsmark Lead. It will also resonate with schools that are running or interested in offering Arts Award. Leading the Arts supports and builds on the ethos and values of both of these programmes.

Diversity and Representation:

We have observed from our time leading this course that there is a lack of teachers of colour within arts leadership in schools. We are committed to addressing this imbalance and strongly encourage teachers from the global majority to apply for this opportunity.

Thinking of joining us?

We believe that Leading the Arts will be useful to all sorts of teachers. We’ve outlined some examples of teacher profiles to showcase the breadth of educators we have designed this course for.

Perhaps you are a:

STEM Teacher with a Twist

You already use some arts-based techniques within your lessons and have seen their positive impact on your students. Now you want to spread the word within your school!

Weekday Teacher, Weekend Artist

You have your own artistic practice outside of work, but feel like you haven’t yet had a chance to combine your areas of expertise.

Artsmark Lead

Your school is considering or undertaking the Artsmark Award, or you are a recently appointed Artsmark Lead.

Freshly appointed Arts Co-Ordinator

You’ve just been given the responsibility of Arts Co-Ordinator within your school and need a little more support in order to make the most of it

Thinking about applying but have questions? Get in touch and lets discuss!

What this course will cover...

Arts Planning and Policy

Explore what a quality arts action plan should include. You will have the opportunity to develop your own plan during the course.
Examine cultural education & arts policy - looking at its impact at local and national levels.
Explore approaches to measuring impact and see how they can contribute to effective advocacy for the arts across your school community.
Explore how to present evidence and how to report to a range of stakeholders.

Leadership and Partnerships

Investigate leadership and management styles and understand arts leadership in its wider context.
Interrogate the concept and benefits of partnership working and meet arts and cultural organisations.
Explore effective communication and advocating as an arts leader.

Professional Development and Reflection

Undertake work shadowing with another setting.
Undertake facilitated sessions on equality & inclusion, children & young people’s voice, and careers, employability & skills.
Have the opportunity to reflect on the course, what you have learnt, and how you will embed this learning within your school improvement plans and provision.

“It's allowed me to approach SLT with a completely different mindset, and ... the empowerment and knowledge to go and really focus on arts within our school.”

2022-23 Participant

“I know my role ... I am now confident to make an impact and a difference.”

2021-22 Participant

Thinking about applying for Leading the Arts 2025/26 ?

Curious Minds will be running Leading the Arts in Your School in the 2025-26 academic year.

If you'd like to be the first to know when we announce further details, sign up for an email reminder.