Arts enrichment learning

A guide for parents and carers

Supporting your child’s school to provide good quality arts enrichment allows your child to thrive.

Introduction

What does arts enrichment learning mean and why is it so important for your child’s education, wellbeing, and future?

Your school might call these activities co-curricular, extra-curricular or indeed enrichment. Don’t worry, we’re all talking about the same thing. Arts activities that build on the curriculum and take place out of lesson time like clubs, rehearsals, performances and preparation for exhibitions.

In recent years, you will have heard all about the importance of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and developing children and young people’s digital skills as a priority. However, there have been growing concerns that young people entering employment might lack the necessary creative skills to navigate the rapidly changing work landscape and not have vital transferable skills needed to tackle new challenges.

We know how challenging it is to keep up with all the things your child needs for a bright future - so how can we help?

We’ve outlined below the key things you need to understand about arts enrichment activities and how you can support your child to get involved.

Educational Benefits

Fulfilling academic potential

Did you know that participation in the arts can help your child succeed?

Involvement in structured arts activities can increase cognitive abilities by 17%¹

Learning through arts and culture can improve attainment in Maths and English²

Students from low-income families who take part in arts activities at school are three times more likely to earn a university degree³

Taking GCSE Music has a positive effect on overall attainment at Key Stage 4 - the equivalent of a sixth of a grade increase, for students at comprehensive schools⁴

What does this mean for university?

Many higher-level graded exams in music and drama qualify for UCAS Tariff points.⁵

What young people have to say about the difference the arts have made to them.

“Arts Award has helped me in my confidence through sharing my skills with other people. It’s helped me think about careers and realise how much I enjoy teaching and that I’d like the chance to do that in the future.”

Student, Old Palace of John Whitgift School

“My music studies have really helped me with my listening skills and pronunciation in languages.”

Student, Wisbech Grammar School

“Learning drums and percussion has helped me improve across the whole of my school life. I have found that playing music to this level has helped me to be more focussed in my school lessons and is a good stress reliever at the end of the school day.”

Student, Bucks Music Trust

What do teachers have to say?

“The impact of Arts Award at Mounts Bay Academy has been tremendous. Young people have developed creativity and leadership beyond all our expectations.”

Sara Davey, Head of Mounts Bay Academy

“We’ve done a lot on interview techniques with our older classes ready for their UCAS applications and university interviews. Even simple things like how to walk into a room, and focus on all of those micro signals you don’t realise you’re giving off. Role playing a version of yourself that you need to slightly hide behind when you’re feeling nervous has worked especially well with some really shy young people.”

Lizi, drama teacher, Leeds

“Arts Award helps to address whole school priorities such as attainment by providing a framework for progress and assessment in the Performing Arts. It also leads to a recognised external accreditation.”

Helen Holford, Governor, The Valley School

Achievement for all

Taking part in arts activities has a notable impact on young people with additional needs and learning challenges.

There is evidence to support the positive impact of arts on students who have additional needs including:

English as a second language
ADHD and / or are on the autism spectrum
Challenges with communication
General or specific learning difficulties

Supporting your child’s school to provide good quality arts enrichment helps all pupils

Mental Health

Coping with disruption

After a period of disruption connected to the pandemic, there has been lots of conflicting advice for parents and carers on how best to support children’s learning.

The good news is that evidence shows arts enrichment not only positively impacts academic achievement, but provides vital mental health benefits both now and in the future.

Wellbeing

Art as therapy has been around for a long time. Music, art, drama and movement have always been ways for us to explore and process difficult experiences and feelings. As children process the experience of remote learning and the wider impacts of the pandemic, arts enrichment offers an opportunity to ease the process and support overall wellbeing.

There are huge wellbeing benefits to:

learning a piece of music
memorising and rehearsing a performance
creating something with your hands

Making arts activities a core part of your child’s learning gives space for mindfulness and all the benefits both in the moment and longer-term.

Nordic countries believe strongly in the link between participation in the arts and a longer, healthier life, so much so they’ve included access within their Children’s Constitutional Rights.

Future Employability

Career path

Participation in arts enrichment increases the chances of young people continuing to higher education. This means more potential for job satisfaction and security as your child moves into the world of work.⁶

The LinkedIn Employer Survey 2019 identified the following soft skills that companies need but have a hard time finding:

Creativity

Persuasion

Time Management

Collaboration

Adaptability

Getting involved in the arts through enrichment activities goes a long way to support students’ development in these hard to find skill areas.

Time Management

“The discipline and appreciation of music (and enhanced dexterity!) preparing for this exam has given me helped improve on the other instruments I play. It also taught me how to cope with juggling the amount of work I have in the runup to A-Levels.”

Student, Tempo Music Academy

Adaptability

‘In live performance, anything can happen. Anything does happen. And students learning to cope with that and to carry on is a valuable skill.’

Michelle, parent

Teamwork

“Students are encouraged to work together in order to achieve their joint goals. A lot of subjects don’t require students to do this or get a grade based on their combined actions within a unit: graded drama exams require collaboration, good listening, and compromise – really adult skills, which should be celebrated.”

Chris, Head of Drama

Persuasion

“I gained confidence and communication skills which will help me with everything I do in future life.”

Student, Alderbrook School

Creativity

“My Speech and Drama exams have improved my creativity, knowledge and ability in both my performance and written work”

Student, Big Red Curtain

Cultural Literacy

What does this have to do with arts enrichment?

The study of music, art and drama, helps students to gain cultural knowledge and literacy which they can apply in all other aspects of their life.

Studying the arts helps students to grow into rounded individuals by providing them with an understanding of society and culture, and their role within it.

“For a lot of children, their first introduction to Shakespeare is sitting in an English classroom reading it – that’s not how Shakespeare is meant to be accessed. What teenager wants to sit down and read this text from a book?

But taking a group to see a production of ‘Othello’ and watch it live was amazing. All of a sudden things made sense to them.”

Adam, actor and drama teacher, Liverpool

How can you get involved?

Schools tell us that one of the biggest challenges to providing ongoing arts enrichment programmes is consistent participation. If your child is already a member of a school club or activity, you can help by taking an active interest in your child’s progress and offering encouragement when they lose motivation, in addition to any practical support they need, e.g. around travel arrangements.

Not sure whether your school has an enrichment program? Talk to staff and find out what is available. If you have an idea of a specific activity your child would benefit from, talk to their teachers - the chances are, there are others who would like to get involved and this is how successful programmes start!

Whether it’s the school choir, an art club or a drama group; children continuing to attend week-on-week is what will enable your school’s arts enrichment offer to grow and flourish in the future.

Arts enrichment learning: a guide for parents and carers

Trinity College London is a leading international exam board and independent education charity that has been providing assessments around the world since 1877. Trinity specialises in the assessment of communicative and performance skills covering music, drama, combined arts and English language.

www.trinitycollege.com

(1) Cultural Learning Alliance: Evidence (2) Cultural Learning Alliance: Evidence (3) Cultural Learning Alliance: Evidence (4) ‘The relationship between taking a formal music qualification and overall attainment at Key Stage 4. Cambridge Assessment Research Report’. (5) Calculate your UCAS tariff points. (6) Matthys and Perlzweig (2012). 'Cultural Capital, Identity, and Social Mobility: The Life Course of Working-Class University Graduates'.