Our Arts Specialism

Burnt Mill Performing Arts College

In 2003, Burnt Mill School was designated as a performing arts college. This means that the school specialises in the areas of dance, drama, and music. Our ‘mission statement’ as a performing arts college is as follows :-

High academic achievement in the arts impacts on all areas of the curriculum. We wish to build on the skills and techniques developed in the performing arts to improve teaching and learning across the curriculum.

Through the arts, Burnt Mill pupils develop their confidence and develop a positive self-image.

Arts subjects are a catalyst which raise the academic achievement of individual pupils and subsequently the whole school. Many Burnt Mill pupils show particular aptitude in arts subjects. We wish to provide the environment which will foster their success.

At Burnt Mill, arts subjects develop not only aesthetic awareness and discrimination, but also provide opportunities for every pupil to acquire communication skills, listening skills, problem solving and inter-personal team working skills, which are valuable in all areas of the curriculum and beyond.

Burnt Mill Academy has a well established reputation for providing a high quality performing arts education and a very wide range of extra-curricular and community activities. We will be able, through our work as a leading community influence, to play a major part in supporting Harlow Council in achieving its cultural objectives.

Our community programmes will encourage participation in life-long learning and foster confidence and self esteem in local people. Above all, we will encourage the community to participate in, enjoy, and where possible, excel in the arts. This bid supports Harlow Council’s strategic community plan, which in turn supports Essex County Council’s lifelong learning plan.

Burnt Mill is sited in an excellence cluster. We will support the three core schools and other schools in the cluster by providing curricular opportunities, expertise and clubs/activities that will support two of the four excellence cluster strands – able, gifted and talented provision and alternative ks4 courses to improve motivation.

After school extension programmes and activities, improved and additional accommodation, the development of new courses, a greater range of accreditation, increased staffing to widen the range of expertise available, and links with community organisations will all be developed.

We will work closely with the local education business partnership and local business to ensure our programmes meet the needs of industry and local business.

Through our performing arts specialism, we will use the greater flexibility and wider range of vocational and academic opportunities introduced into the 14-19 curriculum in order to engage every pupil and promote coherent 14-19 education pathways.