New Artsmark Award Strand FAQs

• Starting in Spring 2027, there will be an enrolment window at the start of each half term.  

• Once enrolled for the Artsmark Award, you’ll receive an Artsmark Award Guidance Pack and be invited to attend an online Prepare for Your Award session.  

• Schools will have up to one and a half terms from enrolling for the Award to then submit their Artsmark application. 

• The Framework remains at the heart of the newly designed Artsmark offer. As part of the process, schools will submit evidence through a single updated application form, based on the Artsmark Framework. The form is being redesigned, using feedback from schools. 

• The assessment process will continue to be carried out by our experienced team of external assessors. Rather than being based on a two-year development journey, assessment will be based on the quality of your arts and culture provision at the time you apply for the award. 

• Schools will receive their Artsmark Award no later than the end of the following term after submission. 

 We would like to keep the Artsmark community of practice growing and we know how invaluable the insights schools share amongst themselves are can be. All registered Artsmark schools will also be able to join our Connect opportunities. We are developing sessions to share practice, build networks and learn from a vibrant community of like-minded schools. We will be launching Connect opportunities from Autumn 2027. 

Changes will happen gradually. We’ve emailed all Artsmark schools about how this will impact them on their specific stage of their journey.   

We have now paused registrations until the Award strand opens in Spring 2027. Be the first to get involved by registering your interest here!   

When you next apply for the Artsmark Award, schools will no longer be required to complete Modules 1, 2 and 3, and there will be no mandatory modules to complete before applying for an Artsmark Award. However, if you are currently on an Artsmark Journey, we have emailed you to let you know what you will need to do to complete your current Artsmark Award. If you have further questions, please get in touch with the Artsmark team by emailingartsmark@artscouncil.org.uk.  

From Spring 2027, when you enrol for an award, you’ll receive an Artsmark Award Guidance Pack and an invitation to attend a Prepare for your Award session. Schools will also be able to access a new self-audit to identify their strengths and areas for development. None of these are mandatory to complete, instead we encourage schools to engage in the support that is most helpful for them.  

Our Strengthen Strand will be launched in Autumn 2027 and will help schools use the Framework to understand their current provision and strengthen specific areas of practice. Support to strengthen your provision will be available to all schools, regardless of whether you decide to apply for the award.   

No, the Framework remains at the heart of Artsmark, which sets out best practice for schools in developing their arts and cultural provision. As part of the assessment process, schools will submit evidence through one updated form which will be tied more closely to the Artsmark Framework. The Strengthen Strand will also be aligned directly to the Artsmark Framework.   

The new Award strand will remain the same investment of £500 per school, or £250 for schools with fewer than 100 pupils.  

This includes:  

• An Artsmark Award Guidance Pack  

• Attendance at an online Prepare for your Award session, or access to a recording if you can’t make it  

• Assessment by an expert team of external assessors   

• Constructive feedback and guidance from assessors on next steps and further development for your school  

• An Arts Council England accredited Artsmark Award which lasts two years, including a certificate to display and digital assets for your website  

• All registered Artsmark schools will also be able to join our Connect opportunities. We are developing sessions to share practice, build networks and learn from a vibrant community of like-minded schools. We will be launching Connect opportunities from Autumn 2027. 

All schools will also be able to access our new free self-audit, designed to help identify strengths and areas for development before deciding whether to apply for an award or focus on strengthening provision. In addition, freeone-to-one support from the Cultural Education Network will be available throughout the process.  

From Autumn 2027, Schools will be able to register for our Strengthen strand. This strand is being developed to help schools use the framework to understand their current provision and strengthen specific areas of practice. Schools will be able to access and pay for the Strengthen strand without having to enrol or pay for the Award. We will continue to update this section with more details throughout the year. 

From Spring 2027, there will be an enrolment window at the start of each half term to apply for the Award Strand. During this period, schools can apply and pay for their Artsmark assessment. When schools apply, they will be invoiced accordingly, with payment due within 30 days. We will not process award submissions until we’ve received payment.  

• Attendance at an online Prepare for your Award session, or access to a recording if you prefer  

• An Artsmark Award Guidance Pack   

• Assessment by an expert team of external assessors   

• Constructive feedback and guidance from assessors on next steps and further development for your school  

• An Arts Council England accredited Artsmark Award which lasts two years, including a certificate to display and digital assets for your website  

• All registered Artsmark schools will also be able to join our Connect opportunities. We are developing sessions to share practice, build networks and learn from a vibrant community of like-minded schools. We will be launching Connect opportunities from Autumn 2027.  

As Artsmark is an Arts Council England subsidised programme, we try to keep our fees affordable and accessible to as many schools as possible.   

Our Strengthen strand will allow schools to access support for their development, prior to applying for and paying for an Artsmark Award. The provision in the Strengthen strand will be charged for separately to the Award. Schools can pick and choose and only pay for what they need. This is due to launch in Autumn 2027, and we will be updating this section with further details throughout the year.  

The £500/£250 fee is for when you feel ready to apply for your assessment and to receive an Artsmark Award but is separate to the Strengthen Strand.   

Our new self-audit will be available from Spring 2027 to help schools understand their current provision, identifying areas of strength and development against the Artsmark Framework. You will then be able to decide whether you would like to join the Strengthen or Award Strand.   

Once enrolled for the Artsmark Award, you’ll receive an Artsmark Award Guidance Pack and be invited to attend an online Prepare for Your Award session. These will help you understand the assessment process and make sure you can clearly demonstrate the quality and impact of your arts and cultural provision in your application.   

We would like to keep the Artsmark community of practice growing and we know how invaluable the insights schools share amongst themselves are can be. All registered Artsmark schools will also be able to join our Connect opportunities. We are developing sessions to share practice, build networks and learn from a vibrant community of like-minded schools. We will be launching Connect opportunities from Autumn 2027. 

While no specific award level can be guaranteed, schools will have access to a range of guidance, tools and support to help them present their achievements confidently and effectively.  

We will be building our Strengthen strand incrementally, so that schools can choose the specific areas of practice they would like support with, based on the Artsmark Framework. Our Cultural Education Network Specialists are also available to offer free tailored one-to-one conversations for schools at any stage.   

Yes, Artsmark is still accredited by Arts Council England. It is the only award in England which recognises the exceptional commitment of schools to arts and culture.  

No. In the new Award Strand, schools will no longer need to follow a fixed two-year timeline to achieve an Artsmark Award. Schools can take as much time as they need to prepare for assessment and decide when they feel ready to apply.   

From Spring 2027, there will be an enrolment window at the start of each half term.Once enrolled for the Artsmark Award, you’ll receive an Artsmark Award Guidance Pack and be invited to attend an online Prepare for Your Award session. These will help you understand the assessment process and make sure you can clearly demonstrate the quality and impact of your arts and cultural provision in your application. 

Once a school has enrolled for an Artsmark Award, there will be up to one and a half terms to complete and submit an assessment application. From submission, schools will receive their Artsmark Award no later than the following term.   

We recognise that schools want to develop their arts and cultural provision but only want to be assessed for an award when they feel ready. This is why we’ve redesigned our programme so that schools can access our Strengthen strand before enrolling for the award. 

We would like to keep the Artsmark community of practice growing and we know how invaluable the insights schools share amongst themselves are can be. All registered Artsmark schools will be able to join our Connect opportunities. We are developing sessions to share practice, build networks and learn from a vibrant community of like-minded schools. We will be launching Connect opportunities from Autumn 2027. We look forward to sharing more details soon. Watch this space!