Success down to a fine art

PRIDE in Oldham nominees . . . art staff at Oldham Academy North, from left, Sarah Nicholson, Mike Fox head of art, Esther Hill, Abbie Lockitt, David Crompton, Monixa Mistry.

THE art department at Oldham Academy North has been nominated for a Pride award for its "outstanding" GCSE results and its community work.

Since the Royton academy opened six years ago, it has chalked up an average of more than 90 per cent A* to C grades in graphic art, fine art, photography and art and design.

Pupils also make outstanding progress while the academy is making a big impact with is community work.

It sponsors the annual Oldham Primary Arts Festival, working with Gallery Oldham to hold art workshops for local primary school pupils before celebrating their work in an exhibition.

Oldham Academy North's other community work also includes a long-standing partnership with Dr Kershaw's Hospice in Royton which ranges from pupils creating art for the hospice to art classes for patients.

Principal Martin Knowles nominated the department which is made up of head of art Mike Fox alongside teachers Esther Hill, Elaine Cooke, Abbie Lockitt, David Crompton, Sarah Nicholson and Monixa Mistry.

Some of them have been colleagues for many years, working together at the former Grange School which was replaced by Oldham Academy North.

Mr Knowles called their results a "phenomenal achievement" and said: "We are extremely proud of the success of our art faculty and thank them greatly for their outstanding contribution to the academy's success."

Mr Fox was delighted with the department's nomination and said: "We had no idea; it's a nice surprise. We are a close-knit department - some of us have been together for at least 15 years, which is one of our strengths.

"At the core of the department's teaching philosophy is the desire to impart our skills and knowledge as artists to as many students as possible in order that they may achieve beyond their initial expectations and engender a sense of pride and wonder in their work.

"The community work is also an important side of what we do.

"We are a school department but we strongly believe that art is accessible and rewarding for everyone, whether you're an adult or a child."