Arts, Culture & Creativity at Priory School

Arts, Culture & Creativity at Priory School 

Our aim is for Priory School to be the leading inclusive and creative state secondary school in the region. At Priory, we are proud to champion the arts as a core part of our identity and vision. 

We actively encourage students to see themselves as musicians, artists, actors, writers, dancers, and filmmakers of the future. Through initiatives like our Student Arts Leaders panel, creative careers events, and work experience opportunities, we aim to open doors into the vibrant world of the creative industries. 

Our School Plan places arts and culture at its heart—supporting academic excellence, creative expression, student wellbeing, and staff development. We believe every student deserves access to a rich and inspiring creative education. 

Some of our recent projects, programmes and partnerships: 

• As of 2024 Priory now has a 5-hour/week position of Arts, Culture and Creativity Co-ordinator, Ms Brooke-Smith and Priory's Headteacher, Mr Curtis-Brignell is a Leader for Impact (awarded by Royal Ballet and Opera and supported by Arts Council England)

• There is a CPD working group of visual and performing arts staff that meet throughout the school year

• Annual whole cohort trip to Glyndebourne for all Year 7 students, subsidised tickets and free for students in receipt of Pupil Premium 

• Schools partner with Charleston Trust for artist-led workshops, exhibition opportunities and work experience  

• Student Leaders for Arts, Culture and Creativity 

• Careers in the Creative Industries Fair 

• Elderflower Fields Festival exhibition opportunity and work experience 

• Dance performance opportunities, for example Let’s Dance, The Old Market, Trinity Laban 

• Dance and drama workshops with professional companies and practitioners such as Complicite

• Regular drama trips to London and Brighton theatres  

• National Poetry By Heart competition 

• School drama production 

• Music trips to Glyndebourne and Barbican 

• Anti-bullying creative writing project with Lewes Football Club and University of Sussex 

• Patina art workshops with feeder primary school and Priory samba band 

• Priory Ruin student-led newspaper 

• Resident student-led magazine

• Art Wave exhibition in Lewes 

• Farley Arts Trust competition 

• Outreach workshops with our Lewes feeder primary schools 

• After school clubs including; Creative Writing, Art, Dance, Drama and Music clubs 

• Arts Mark  

• Staff and student photography competitions 

• Annual Activity and Creativity Week  

• Priory Baccalaureate (includes a dedicated arts or technology pathway) 

• Street Art In Lewes (SAIL) partner school 

• BFI Into Film Club programmed by Student Arts and Creativity Leaders
   

Leaders for Impact : Vision and advocacy featuring Priory School Student leaders for Arts and Creativity