Leading the Arts in Your School
Shape your school's journey in culture and the arts
About this course
Leading the Arts in Your School gives early to mid-career educators the skills, knowledge and confidence to be an outstanding arts leader in any school setting.
The content will be kept completely up to date with any changes to national policy, for example the Curriculum Review recommendations expected in Autumn 2025, and the proposed changes to the Enrichment Benchmarks and OFSTED.
You’ll finish this course reinvigorated and equipped with everything you need to be an effective, up-to-date arts leader.
Our 2025-26 training programme will run as two cohorts, allowing you to choose the most suitable for your school calendar:
- Cohort 1: Jan 2026 - June 2026
Apply before 13 October 2025. - Cohort 2: Sept 2026 - March 2027
Apply anytime before 8 June 2026.
“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
What's covered?
A combination of in-person, online and independent learning will cover:
- What quality and richness in arts education and cultural learning looks like
- Up-to-date knowledge of policies affecting cultural education and their implications for your school
- A deepened understanding of effective ways to approach arts leadership to energise your colleagues
- Improved understanding of arts and cultural organisations, and how to partner, commission and engage with them to maximise benefit your students
- Identifying the key drivers and benefits of arts and culture for your school to prepare you to be a powerful advocate to all stakeholders
- Focused sessions on how Health and Wellbeing, Youth Voice, Equality Diversity and Inclusion, and Careers and Employability can all be boosted through quality arts provision.
You’ll finish this course ready to hit the ground running, with a firm action plan, backed up by a Theory of Change.
Time Commitment:
- 3 full, in-person, training days
- 5 online training sessions
- A reciprocated visit to another school
"A complete education is a creative education."
Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Cost per place - £660
The full cost of running this course is £1250 per place. The £660 rate is subsidised by charitable funding from Arts Council England.
Please note: If the subsidised cost is still prohibitive, and you would like to join our waiting list for a full bursary please email hanna.lambert@curiousminds.org.uk telling us what you hope to get out of the course, and evidence why your school cannot pay for it. We have observed a lack of diversity amongst school arts leaders and are committed to helping redress this imbalance. We encourage underrepresented teachers within schools who clearly cannot meet the cost to apply for a bursary.
Who is it for?
Early and mid-career teaching professionals across all settings – from Nursery to Secondary, including SEND and PRU. You don’t need to be an existing Arts Lead to apply. It will be particularly useful for a recently appointed Artsmark Lead, and schools working towards achieving Artsmark.
Apply now
Applications will be assessed upon receipt, and places will be allocated immediately to successful applicants. Each course has a maximum capacity of 12 participants. All applicants must provide confirmation from a Senior Leader at their school that they are supported to attend the full duration of the course. Please ensure you specify which cohort you are applying for. Course dates are listed below.
Want to read the application questions before applying? You can find them and some guidance here.
Cohort 1: Jan 2026 - June 2026 Session Dates
Apply before 13 October 2025.
- 14.01.2026 Induction, 1.5 hours online
- 22.01.2026 Module 1, full day in person, Liverpool
- 05.02.2026 Children & Young Peoples Voice, 2 hours online
- 05.03.2026 Creative Health, 2 hours online
- 19.03.2026 Module 2, full day in person, Manchester
- 15.04.2026 Equality Diversity & Inclusion 2 hours online
- 29.05.2026 Meet the Arts Organisations 2 hours online
- 11.06.2026 Careers & Employability 2 hours online
- 25.06.2026 Module 3, full day in person, Lancaster
Cohort 2: Sept 2026 - March 2027 Session Dates
Apply any time before 8 June 2026.
- 30.09.2026 Induction, 1.5 hours online
- 15.10.2026 Module 1, full day in person, venue TBC
- 11.11.2026 Children & Young Peoples Voice, 2 hours online
- 25.11.2026 Creative Health, 2 hours online
- 07.01.2027 Equality Diversity & Inclusion 2 hours online
- 21.01.2027 Module 2, full day in person, Manchester
- 03.02.2027 Meet the Arts Organisations 2 hours online
- 25.02.2027 Careers & Employability 2 hours online
- 25.02.2027 Module 3, full day in person, Lancaster
Still Curious?
The next free online briefing will be on 4pm-5pm Tuesday 9th September 2025, where you can hear more about the course, and ask any questions. Please email hanna.lambert@curiousminds.org.uk for the link to join the briefing, or with any other queries.