A school whose pupils get to work with leading theatre companies has won a national prize for “fostering creativity and promoting artistic excellence”.

The Compton School in Finchley has received the The Arts Council's Artsmark Platinum award, set up to develop arts and cultural education after impressing the judging panel with its outreach programmes with leading arts organisations.

The school, which was opened in 1992 for children aged 11 to 16, in 2018 became an academy for boys and girls aged 11 to 18 as the founding school of the Middlesex Learning Trust.

It stages workshops and performances with Rada, Guildhall, Chickenshed theatre company, Freight theatre company, Mousetrap theatre company, Donmar Warehouse, Tate Modern and The Old Vic Theatre.

The school in Summers Lane, North Finchley, was also commended for its “sustainable approach” with its teacher training programme to create more art teachers for future education.

Andrew Hammond, one of Compton’s two heads of school, said. “Receiving the Artsmark Platinum Award is a testament to the hard work of our staff and our commitment as a school to ensuring we keep developing the art teachers of tomorrow through our teacher training programme.

"This recognition reflects our commitment to pursuing excellence across all avenues of education and we are very proud of this achievement.”

Arts Council chief executive Dr Darren Henley said: “Becoming an ‘Artsmark’ school demonstrates that every pupil can develop character and resilience, increasing their curiosity and skills in adult life, through a broad and creative curriculum.”