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 has been designed for early to mid-career educators. It gives you the skills, confidence and peer support needed to become an outstanding arts leader in any school setting. This year, we’re excited to introduce a brand-new Creative Health module, in which you’ll explore how arts and culture can play a vital role in supporting positive health and wellbeing within schools and communities.
However you currently use creativity within your teaching practice, this is a chance to reinvigorate your methodologies, to learn and share best practice in a friendly, small group environment. You’ll leave this course ready to advocate for the importance of the arts within learning settings, and to empower others in your school to do the same.
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.
"A complete education is a creative education."
Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Who is it for?
Leading the Arts in Your School is open to 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.
The course is a particularly useful development opportunity if your school is considering or working towards Artsmark Award, or for a recently appointed Artsmark Lead. It will also resonate with schools that are running or interested in offering Arts Award.
Diversity and Representation:
We have observed from our many years of running 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.
“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
Practical info
This course is delivered through a combination of in-person and online learning. There are three face-to-face workshops and five live Zoom sessions to attend, plus additional learning and tasks to be completed in your own time.
The cost of the course is heavily subsidised at £660 per delegate. Payment details will be required before your place can be confirmed.
Dates and Times: Cohort 1 (Jan 2026 - June 2026 )
• Induction - Weds 14th January
• Module 1 - Thurs 22nd Jan (In person, Liverpool)
• CYP Voice - Thurs 5th Feb
• Creative Health Module - Weds 5th March
• Module 2 - Thurs 19th March (In person, Manchester)
• EDI - Weds 15th April
• Meet the orgs - Weds 29th April
• Careers & Employability - Thurs 11th June
• Module 3 - Thurs 25th June (In person, Lancaster)
Dates and Times - Cohort 2 (Sept 2026 - March 2027)
• Induction - Weds 30th Sep
• Module 1 - Thurs 15th Oct
• CYP Voice - Weds 11th Nov
• Creative Health Module - Weds 25th Nov
• EDI - Thursday 7th Jan
• Module 2 - Thursday 21st Jan
• Meet the orgs - Wednesday 3rd Feb
• Careers & Employability - Thursday 25th Feb
• Module 3 - Thursday 25th Feb
Apply now
Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis, with places secured as they are received.
The deadlines for receipt of applications are
- Cohort 1 is: 13th October 2025.
- Cohort 2 is: 8th June 2026.
Want to read the application questions before applying? You can find them and some guidance here.
