Manchester Creative Studio

Manchester Creative Studio is an employer led ‘studio school’. We provide young people aged 14-19 with the skills and knowledge they need for a career in the creative and digital industries.

The term studio school comes from the renaissance studio schools, where renaissance masters would bring students into their studios to pass on their skills and expertise to the next generation.Studio Schools are a new type of state school for 14-19 year olds which have been developed to address the increasing gap between what young people require to succeed in life, and the skills and knowledge that the current education system provides.

Studio Schools pioneer an innovative new approach to learning with a focus on teaching through enterprise projects, personalisation and real work. They take a very old idea – that many of us learn best when doing real work in teams – and apply it to new 21st Century schools.

We understand that choosing a new school to continue your creative career can be daunting and we want to make sure this is the right choice for you. The studio school model has been developed in partnership with local and national employers who are in need of future employees to fill the current skills gap. We will help you to develop the necessary skill set to start work in the creative industries at the end of your time with us.

Evidence consistently shows that employers are concerned about key skills gaps in the British economy.Every new survey of unfilled vacancies confirms that employers are looking for – and not finding – key employability skills amongst schools leavers. The Leitch Review backed this up. Commissioned in 2004 to identify Britain’s long term skills needs it identified employability skills such as critical thinking, communication skills and team work as amongst the country’s biggest gaps.

However, extensive research shows that equipping young people with employability skills alone is not enough. In a competitive and uncertain world, young people also need to think creatively, build resilience and be able to respond effectively to rapidly changing circumstances. The evidence suggests that embedding creativity and an ability to respond successfully to change is vital if the UK is to compete in an increasingly globalised service economy.

These are sometimes loaned to students at critical times during their course. Our digital devices include a Microsoft Surface machine, Macbook, Canon DSLR camera, Tripods, Video recording equipment and much more. The loan of these items depends upon your course of study. Even the sketchbooks and ordinary everyday textbooks students use have been specifically designed for use in the school.

For students who study at Manchester Creative Studio in Key Stage 4, qualifications gained include all of the core GCSE qualifications you would find at a traditional school, in addition to specialist GCSEs and industry recognised qualifications in the creative and digital industry.Our popular Level 3 courses, Media - Games Design, Graphic Design and Media - Film & TV.

Personal coaches support the learners using the CREATE framework and ensure each student receives appropriate support. We believe that as well as gaining qualifications, young people need to be encouraged to think creatively, build resilience and be able to respond effectively to rapidly changing circumstances.

All students have an individual learning plan supported by dedicated learning coaches and a specialist personal coach. The learning coaches monitor, track and support subject specific learning and achievement, they agree the appropriate programme and level for each student.

The CREATE skills framework has been designed specifically for Studio Schools to ensure students develop a wide range of employability and life skills whilst in education. Through CREATE, students follow a personalised curriculum that meets their individual needs and aspirations, developing transferable skills ready for employment.

Our coaches support students throughout their time at MCStudio and ensure that CREATE underpins every element of their journey with us. Coaches play a central role in students’ personal and academic development, setting targets and encouraging and tracking progress.

The governors play a very important role in ensure mcs is following the vision and ethos set out when we opened in 2014. There expertise and knowledge are invaluable in moulding the creative professionals of the future.The Full Governing Body meets at least every term. The three core strategic governance functions set out in the DfE School Governance Handbook are: ensuring clarity of vision, medicine ethos and strategic direction; holding the principal to account for the performance of the school and its pupils and the performance management of its staff; and overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

Governors take on specific responsibilities and work with the senior leadership team to monitor and raise standards. The Governing Body have the full range of skills and experience to fulfil its responsibilities. This includes people who are appointed for their particular expertise, parents and staff. All governors give their time voluntarily and work very closely with the Principal and the staff at the school.