Pupils and staff at Langley Hall Primary Academy are celebrating after receiving a prestigious Artsmark Award.

Artsmark is the only creative quality standard for schools accredited by Arts Council England.

The Artsmark assessor commended Langley Hall Primary Academy in the report, saying: “You have created a curriculum that is innovative and unique, with the expectation that every child will learn to play both the violin and recorder from the age of five, and have the opportunity to learn a third instrument from the age of nine."

On receiving the award executive head Sally Eaton said: “We are extremely proud of achieving our Artsmark Platinum Award. This is the highest award it is possible to achieve and which puts us in the top seven per cent of award winners nationally. We are committed to delivering a high-quality arts and cultural education, especially in music, drama and dance, and we look forward to continue to grow with Artsmark.”

Langley Hall Primary Academy is based on two sites: the Lower School site in St. Mary’s Road was the location for Langley’s original Village School. The Upper School site is situated in Station Road, in the heart of Langley Village in a building dating back to the 1600s. The school opened in September 2011 as part of the government’s Free School initiative.