This month, Emma Thurston, Headteacher of Deptford Green School in South East London, shares her commitment and approach to ensuring that the Arts are central to her School’s values and ethos. Her secondary school serves a richly diverse community, and under Emma’s leadership the Arts have played a vital role in shaping Deptford Green into a thriving, successful school.
I have spent my career doing what, in some circles, feels like bucking the trend. As a headteacher, and before that as a senior leader across London schools, I have held firm to a belief that the Arts are not an “extra”, not a luxury, and certainly not something to be squeezed when pressures rise. For me, the Arts are the driver. When students feel engaged, seen and inspired through creative expression, learning follows.
Now, as Headteacher of Deptford Green School, serving a richly diverse and dynamic Lewisham community, that belief is more important than ever. We have high levels of pupil premium and significant SEND need. For many young people, school has not always felt like a place where they belong. So we have made a clear and unapologetic choice: we put creativity, self-expression and culture at the heart of everything we do – because belonging is important.
I am an Art and Photography teacher by trade, and I still teach. It is the best part of my week. Standing in a classroom, making alongside students, reminding myself, and them, that art is about voice, identity and risk-taking. That matters. Leadership can sometimes pull you away from the reason you started, but for me, continuing to teach is about modelling what I believe: that the Arts develop a true sense of self. And once a young person understands who they are, they are ready to learn.
Our vision at Deptford Green is simple: “Catch with the wind in your sails: explore, dream, discover.” It is not just a motto, it is lived. You see it in our curriculum, in our culture, and in the way our staff show up every day. This is not about a small Arts department carrying the weight; this is whole school. Our staff are deeply committed, fully on board with the idea that creativity is central to engagement and excellence.
One of the most powerful ways we bring this to life is through our DREAM Days. These are not token enrichment days; they are a universal entitlement. Every Key Stage 3 student steps out of the traditional timetable and into experiences that broaden horizons, whether that’s working with artists, visiting galleries, exploring theatre, or engaging with creative industries. We see the impact immediately: attendance rises, energy shifts, students who struggle in traditional classrooms thrive. They feel successful.
Alongside this, our Year 9 Discovery Days transform how Arts subjects are taught. By dedicating a full day each week to creative disciplines, we give students the time and space to go deeper, to immerse themselves, to experiment, to create without the constraints of a one-hour lesson. It allows for collaboration, for risk-taking, for learning that actually sticks. And crucially, it enables young people to start seeing the Arts not just as subjects, but as pathways, into careers, into communities, into futures they may not have previously imagined.
But this work only matters if it is felt beyond the timetable. That is why we have embedded creativity into how we grow as professionals. Every staff training session begins with a creative starter. It signals something important: that creativity belongs to everyone, not just Arts specialists. We ask our teachers to step outside their comfort zones, to take risks, to rediscover curiosity. Our Week of Wonderful does exactly what it says, it creates space for joy, for experimentation, for teaching that is bold and different. Because if we want our students to be brave, we have to be brave first.
At the heart of all of this is a deep commitment to equity. Access to Arts and culture cannot be dependent on background or circumstance. Through initiatives such as our Sir Keith Ajegbo Fund, we are actively removing barriers, ensuring that every student can participate, experience and benefit.1 Because the Arts are not just about expression; they are about opportunity, aspiration and social justice.
What I have learned, across every school I have worked in, and even more so now, is that when you lead with the Arts, you change the culture. Students begin to see themselves differently. They develop confidence, voice and agency. They engage not because they are told to, but because they want to. And when that happens, outcomes follow, not the other way around.
In a system that can sometimes feel driven by metrics and accountability, choosing to centre the Arts is an act of belief. Belief in young people. Belief in the power of creativity. Belief that education should be about more than exams, it should be about becoming.
At Deptford Green, we are proud to stand for that. We are proud to be part of Lewisham, a community rich in culture, resilience and creativity. And we will continue to ensure that our students don’t just get through school but truly catch the wind in their sails – to explore, to dream, and to discover who they are and who they can become.
- Sir Keith Ajegbo Fund was headteacher in the early days of Deptford Green and to date its longest serving head. A fund in Sir Keith’s name has been created to support the School’s students, with a particular focus on ensuring equality of opportunity, creating an environment for all students to thrive, and breaking down barriers. ↩︎
