ArtsEd Day School and Sixth Form saw incredible results in the recent ISI Inspection Report, held in November 2019.

The three-day inspection was a ‘Focused Compliance and Educational Quality Inspection’, where the Inspection Team looked at every aspect of the school’s operation. Unlike an Ofsted Inspection where a school gets a single summative grade, in an ISI EQ Inspection a school is awarded a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ in terms of regulatory compliance, and two separate grades, one for the quality of Pupils’ Academic and Other Achievements, and one for the quality of Pupils’ Personal Development.

We are delighted to announce that ArtsEd achieved Excellent for both Pupils’ Achievement and Pupils’ Personal Development and that we passed our regulatory compliance with no required or recommended actions.  The Inspection Team recognised a very broad range of outstanding qualities in our teaching, our young people, and our staff. Highlights from the inspection were:

Pupils demonstrate very positive attitudes to learning and develop many excellent learning skills.

They often apply the techniques that they develop in vocational studies to other learning.

A key attribute of pupils is their ability to accept criticism and direction and they often show a strong desire for this, indicative of the desire they show to be the very best they can. 

They excel in working with others, continually supporting and encouraging each other, and driving one another on to further achievement.

Pupils behaviour is excellent. The pupils are energetic but always cooperative.  In interviews, it was hard to draw out of pupils what would be considered poor behaviour in the school because they feel it is so seldom evident.

We are delighted with these comments, and going forward, we aim to keep improving. Don’t forget, you can still apply for our Day School and Sixth Form, or see what all the fuss it about and book a tour.

We’re on the hunt for exciting new acting talent in the Midlands and will be taking our BA Acting auditions to Manchester this February.

As well as having the opportunity to audition, prospective students will get an insight into life on the BA Acting course, direct from our world-class tutors and alumni who will be present at the Manchester audition event – all without the cost of travelling to London.

These travel costs alone can be a major barrier for young people who have great talent but limited financial means. So, we are encouraging young people who are unable to travel to London, to find out about our world-class vocational training at the audition day which takes place at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester on Saturday 8 February.

The Manchester audition day is also part of our long-term commitment to improve opportunities for talented young people from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in the performing arts.

Kyle Rowe, our BA Acting Alumnus 2017, who has appeared in Peaky Blinders, Coronation Street and EastEnders says:

“ArtEd honestly changed my life. I had the most incredible three years there, and it really gave me that ‘can-do’ attitude. My training allowed me to realise anything is possible; I can and absolutely will do it. ArtsEd taught me that people from where I’m from can be something, people that sound like me can have a voice, and I will be forever grateful for my time there; for everything I learnt, the people I met, and what ArtsEd has helped me achieve.”

Julie Spencer, our very own Director the School of Acting says:

“Taking our audition day to Manchester helps to increase participation across the sector and is a vital part of ArtsEd’s commitment in offering outstanding training to everyone.

“We want to encourage students with exceptional potential in and around Manchester to join us at ArtsEd.  The distance means not everyone can always make it to a London audition, so we want to bring the audition to you. If you want to be part of the ArtsEd family and train with us then we want to see YOU at the Royal Exchange for our Manchester audition.”

The Manchester audition will take place on Saturday 8 February 2020, 10am – students must be 18 years old by the time the course starts. The audition session will include a warm-up workshop led by our ArtsEd Acting tutors. Candidates will be expected to prepare two monologues. They can find all the information they need on our Auditions page.

We are very excited to announce that our Day School pupil, Olivia Beaumont will be playing the role of Young Maeve in series two of Netflix hit: Sex Education, set to release Friday 17 January!

Olivia loved being on set with the talented team of actors, directors and crew who were all very encouraging.

“I was so excited to be offered the part of young Maeve who is such a strong character, to show the audience a glimpse of her early life and to work with the amazing Sex Education team”

Olivia has performed from an early age, continuing her passion for performance at the ArtsEd Day School. She says that “I just love to step into other peoples’ worlds and tell their story”

Don’t miss out on series two of Sex Education, out on Friday 17 January.

And don’t forget, there’s still time to apply for ArtsEd Day School. Final deadline: Friday 31 January! APPLY NOW.

Lisle Jones

November 2^nd 1929 – December 25^th 2019

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.

                                                                                                                        Albert Einstein

It is with genuine sadness that we let you know of the passing of Lisle Jones, who died at his home in Melbourne, Australia on Christmas Day. He was 90 years old.

Lisle first worked as a teacher at ArtsEd in 1969 when it was known as the Arts Educational Schools and based at Piccadilly in London’s West End.  During the mid 1970s, in collaboration with Brain Cook and Hilary Wood, he was instrumental in establishing the full-time Acting course, for which he subsequently became the programme leader.

An experienced practitioner as both an actor and a director, as well as a dedicated and resourceful teacher, Lisle brought immense passion and commitment to his work – always exacting the highest standards of rigour and professionalism in all of his students.

Determined to ensure that the Acting course achieved national and international recognition for excellence, he secured full accreditation for the programme when the National Council of Drama Training (NCDT) undertook its first tranche of validation visits in 1979/80. This was no mean feat for a relatively new course and in later years other drama schools would look to ArtsEd as an example of best practice in the vocational training sector.

With a sharp eye for talent and always determined to attract the best possible practitioners to come and deliver the training for his students, Lisle recruited the likes of Declan Donnellan to teach acting and direct performances, Patsy Rodenburg to teach voice, Mary Hammond to teach singing, as well as Ben Benison, Roddy Maude- Roxby and Ric Morgan to teach improvisation.

In January 1983, Lisle was invited to return to his homeland, Australia, as Head of Acting at the newly formed Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), where once again he played a major role in helping to shape the careers of some of the world’s most accomplished theatre and film practitioners.

A genuinely warm and kind human being as well as an astute and highly skilled practitioner, Lisle had an immense influence on the careers of many, many actors and theatre practitioners. His wonderful enthusiasm combined with an immense energy and seemingly encyclopaedic knowledge will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

David Shirley – January 2020