Arts Ed Gets 'Outstanding' Ofsted Report
Chiswick-based performing arts college impresses inspectors
Arts Educational School in Chiswick is celebrating an "outstanding’ grading from Ofsted, which concluded that the school trains students “ to be the very best musical theatre performers in the country.”
The performing arts college was praised for the high quality of ‘inspirational’ teaching. The inspectors were impressed with the high level of trust and confidence of the industry in the school and the willingness of practitioners to become involved in teaching and directing productions. Inspectors agreed the school ‘offers outstanding value for money.’
They also praised the ‘employability’ of ArtsEd graduates. According to the school, in 2010- 2011, 100 per cent of Musical Theatre graduates had agents, and 95 per cent had work upon graduation. All of last year’s acting graduates secured agent representation and the majority of acting students secured employment within six months of graduation. The Acting School was praised in the report for its unique focus on film and television as well as stage training.
Jane Harrison, Principal of the Arts Educational School, said: “This endorsement is a tremendous accolade for the school. Our ambition is to provide the best quality training in musical theatre and acting for film and television in the UK. Ofsted has independently concluded that we do!"
The three-day assessment was made by Ofsted officials in January 2012.
The Arts Education Schools, known locally as ‘ Arts Ed’ is in fact four schools in one. Two schools offer diploma, degree and postgraduate level courses in musical theatre and acting for film and television while the others provide a variety of part-time and holiday courses in the performing arts for all ages and levels of experience. The schools were founded in 1922 but only moved to Chiswick in 1986.
Well-known alumni include: Catherine Zeta Jones, Jane Seymour, Julie Andrews, Nicolette Sheridan, Cherie Lunghi, Martin Clunes, Nigel Harman, Will Young, Nigel Havers, Adam Cooper, Darcey Bussell, Sally Ann Triplett, Bonnie Langford and many more.
Last year, Arts Educational was given a £3.5 million donation by multimillionaire Andrew Lloyd -Webber, who is President of the school. The grant for a new theatre and TV studios was the biggest capital donation to the performing arts since he founded his charitable foundation twenty years ago. The Andrew Lloyd-Webber Foundation is run by his wife Madeleine.
February 22, 2012