Pupil attendance levels at one school have improved after children began taking part in art and music sessions.
Students at Beaconsfield School in Buckinghamshire enjoyed bespoke activity sessions with professional artists, with pupils trying their hand at everything from poetry to stage combat fighting, the BBC reports.
Classes were provided through the Creative Partnerships scheme, which is now set to lose its £40 million annual government funding.
"We had a few students who had attendance rates of 20 to 25 per cent for the whole of 2009 and by autumn 2010, they had attendance rates of 90 per cent," said John Fletcher, the school's headteacher.
"Because of the extra funding we've received, we've had numerous people coming in from the outside who we would not ordinarily have been able to afford."
The chief executive of the National Children's Bureau, Sir Paul Ennals, said earlier this week that children's educational attainment is linked to their happiness and overall wellbeing, adding that the government should not place too much emphasis on academic work and exams.
Related News
Register for day to day, long-term and permanent teaching jobs.
