Who We Are
Our Vision and Values
Our Mission
The School’s essential mission concerns the quality of students’ learning experience and outcomes. Its mission statement reflects this: “Exceptional education for creative careers.”
Our Objectives
At the Northern School of Art we constantly strive to provide the best creative programmes possible, in order to support the creative industries. We have characterised our objectives as simply: “More students on better courses”
Our Values
Creativity and Excellence
We aim to place creative practice by students and staff at the centre of what we do, with excellent outcomes as our goal.Professional Practice, Employability and Enterprise
We aim to develop students’ skills for employment and enterprise through curricula informed by staff and student engagement with the creative industries. We value the encouragement of professional practice in students and the continuing professional development of staff, improving their performance and contribution to the education sector and creative industries.Student Engagement, Collaboration and Community
We aim to promote student engagement within their learning environment as a partnership with staff, to aid delivery of a high quality student experience and to promote understanding and appreciation of art and design. We aim to develop complementary areas of study that support interdisciplinary collaboration and learning and engagement with external partners.Our Behaviours
Concern for the quality of student experience
A high quality student experience is the essential prerequisite for the School’s success. This means a high quality experience in terms of teaching, learning and assessment, and that the curriculum must continue to be relevant and delivered by staff whose knowledge is up-to-date.A positive, collegiate approach
The reputations and fortunes of the School’s FE and HE courses and programmes are, to a large extent, entwined. There are many positive opportunities for expansion of provision and FE and HE colleagues should work together to achieve this.Professionalism
All staff should seek to achieve high standards and behaviours – in other words being professional. Part of being a professional is that work is subject to review and comment in order to maintain and improve standards. Staff should work together with appropriate planning for improvement, and individuals should seek to provide and receive feedback in a manner which improves outcomes for the School and its students.Always seeking improvement; appropriately self-critical
We should always seek to improve the quality of our provision to students, and all School staff should seek to be appropriately self-critical, focusing on future improvement.Equality and diversity
The School is committed to the principles of equality and diversity and aims to ensure that all employees and School users are treated fairly and equally regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.Leadership
The Governing Body of the Northern School of Art is responsible for the educational character and strategic direction of the institute. They determine our policies and monitor our performance. The Corporation consists of 19 Governors from a wide variety of backgrounds, including staff and students, and their experience and strategic skills make a vital contribution to the continuing development of the School.