A SCHOOL has been awarded a prestigious accolade in recognition of its commitment to the arts.

Bicester Community College, in Queen's Avenue, was told on Friday it had received the Artsmark Gold award from Arts Council England.

Headteacher Cynthia Bartlett said: "We are delighted at Arts Council England's public recognition of our gold-standard commitment to the arts and our enhancement of our students' education."

The Artsmark is a national award scheme managed by the Arts Council, which recognises schools with a high-level provision in arts.

Bonnie Powell, head of the art department, said: "We are really pleased to have received this award and it is nice to have the recognition for all our hard work.

"It's also great for the students, as they all worked very hard.

"The students just love to win, so they have been really pleased with the news."

Helen Comley head of performing arts, said: "It's fantastic to have this kind of recognition, not just for the work we do, but also for the work that went into the application for it.

"It's an award that you keep for three years, so the thing now will be maintaining that level - we can't get any higher."

To win the award, the college underwent a rigorous assessment, involving a detailed audit of arts provisions.

An assessor from the Arts Council then visited a school to see first-hand the provisions on offer.