A BURNLEY primary school has been recognised for its outstanding contribution to the arts.

The Artsmark award has been handed out to Stoneyholme Community Primary School for its commitment and excellence to the arts and cultural education.

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The award is given to schools to celebrate the success of their arts organisation, enrichment clubs and arts provision on offer to the children.

As well as offering the staple art forms of music, dance, art and drama, the school has also championed the digital arts with green screen and animation.

The school has also set up its own radio station and regular podcast, and has also tapped into the talents of the staff to provide street dance, salsa, and graphic design for the pupils.

The school also has its own drumming specialist and artist in residence, and promotes innovative approaches for visits and for the use of professionals from the music industry.

Headteacher Lisa Davison is delighted with the award and said: “The school has excellent facilities both inside and out and much pride is taken to creating a vibrant, exciting and purposeful learning environment.”

The school’s artist in residence, Stephen Oldfield, is equally delightedpleased with the news and added: “This is a great boost for the school and everyone is very pleased.

“It reflects all the hard work that has gone into promoting the arts at this school.

“We have been working towards this for a while now and it’s great to have been given this award.

“There is a wide range of arts activities for the pupils to get involved with and we have taken things a step further by setting up a radio station and using a green screen as well.

“It’s a really exciting place to be involved with the arts and the children have really taken a keen interest in what we now have to offer.

“It’s a very prestigious award to be given and we are all delighted.

“To be given this by the Arts Council is great for everyone and it means that a lot of hard work has paid off.

“Over the last few years, the arts offering at the school has grown and grown and now the children can get involved in so much that they might not be able to do elsewhere.

“The arts are such an important part of a child’s education and I’m very pleased that Stoneyholme is able to provide such a broad schooling for our students.”