The award highlights the role these subjects play in school life and a reflection of our Head of Art, Ms Oozeer, our Director of Music, Mrs Thorn, and their departments ongoing work to enrich and develop these areas of learning. The award will be featured in the summer edition of Education Choices Magazine.

Westminster has a history of music and musicians – all the way from the 1600s (Henry Purcell), through the 1700s and 1800s (Charles Wesley and Sir Adrian Boult), into the 1900s (Flanders & Swann, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Grace Chatto), to the 21st century school we know it today. Music is central to daily life at Westminster Under School; not only an essential part of the curriculum, but also beyond the classroom, with opportunities to explore all genres and develop lasting passions.

You can sing, or play the violin or trumpet. You might prefer the ukulele, or organ. You can like baroque polyphony, or rock and roll. You can join Junior or Senior Choir, Changing Voices Choir, Junior Orchestra, Senior Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Rock Band, Pink Panthers wind band, Jazz Ensemble, numerous chamber ensembles, or Music Tech Club. There is something for everyone, regardless of age, ability, or preferred style. All pupils have the chance to learn, perform, enjoy and progress.

More than 20 visiting music teachers support the Director and Assistant Director of Music. Nearly all choose to learn at least one instrument. Among our pupils, many musicians are at high levels, with 14 pupils currently at Grade 8 and eight at diploma level for piano.

Performances are many, both grand and intimate. We sing Christmas services at St Margaret’s, Westminster Abbey, and perform our Summer Concert at Smith Square Hall. We join professional orchestras and bands at concerts in our theatre, and turn the music department into a jazz café. Our Senior Choir performs at renowned venues and enjoys great success, including as BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year competition finalists three times.

Art is just as present in daily school life as music. As a powerful tool, it inspires our pupils to think creatively, become tenacious learners, handle making and learning from mistakes and commit to seeing a challenging project through to the end.

You can draw, paint, print or sculpt. You might experiment with textiles, ceramics, batik or digital design. One day, you could be working quietly on a sketch in our purpose-built, light-filled Art Department, the next you could be studying a Henry Moore sculpture or a Hockney painting at one of the many galleries London has to offer, just a short walk from school. You might join a photography or pottery-making club, take part in a lunchtime art history talk led by sixth formers from Westminster School, or contribute to The Vincent – the school’s creative magazine – featuring artwork, design, and writing by pupils across the year groups.

Behind all of this is the teaching itself. Lessons focus on developing technique, building ideas, and working with independence. All pupils are taught by a team of specialist teachers – many of them practising artists. They work in a bright studio, use an IT suite, and dip into a well-stocked art library. Many take projects further, encouraged to start their own work, in class or beyond, and follow their creative interests wherever they may lead.

A broad range of artists and artistic voices are explored. Pupils notice how artists ask questions about belonging or challenge how we see the world. This is reflected in their own work, including a Year 8 project around equality and representation which was featured in the National Society for Education in Art and Design magazine’s Equality and Diversity issue.

Art is seen, shared, and celebrated at the Under School. Displays are curated throughout the year, filling corridors and classrooms. Work from every year group is shown. Pupils notice it, talk about it, and take pride in being part of it. From model-making and photography competitions to national exhibitions and creative challenges, pupils are encouraged to put their work forward and see where it can take them.

The Year 8 end-of-year exhibition sees the art rooms transformed into gallery like spaces, showcasing a wide range of media created throughout the year, including collaborative installations. Other projects go further afield, from a group project on sustainability published in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s online magazine, and artwork being selected for the Royal Academy’s Young Artist’s Summer Show, to thirteen of our pupils recently chosen for the Young Art Exhibition, with two awarded first prize in the Years 2-3 and Years 7-9 categories.

Together, art and music at Westminster Under School opens doors to creativity, giving all pupils the chance to discover their passions and what inspires them.