Our Director of Education, Andy Sankey MSc PGCE has developed, delivered and validated qualifications for FE (Further Education) and HE (Higher Education) in Music Performance and Production, Creative Media and Production Arts. Andy applied his industry experience in the development, support and delivery of the qualification specification and materials to ensure the qualifications are relevant and engaging for students and fit for purpose for meaningful progression in education or a career in the creative arts.

Andy was one of the founders of the UAL University of the Arts Awarding Body and as the Chief Examiner for Music Performance and Production and the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) over 66,000 students (based on 2024 data) have benefited from these pioneering qualifications and approach to delivery. The teaching resources have also been expanded and developed to ensure the students are prepared for industry standard recording and production including software and increased access to recording studios.

Andy’s innovative and creative approach to development and delivery resulted in him being recognised and invited to Buckingham Palace to celebrate the creative arts, deliver keynote talks at various education industry events including Music & Drama Expo, BETT, Westminster Conference, British Library Education talks and many more. He has published various academic papers and articles on the subject and helped develop relationships with industry organisations (PRS, UK Music, MU etc.) to consult on the content of the materials ensuring they are current.

More recently Andy has consulted on international delivery of music qualification delivery and consults with the Royal Ballet and Opera on various educational outreach projects including The Design Challenge.

Andy has also published two books to support the delivery of creative arts education and a student guide to creative education. He continues to compose music and perform nationally and internationally with various artists and was MD this year at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith with Harry Colllier of Kubb and Faithless fame. 

Creative Education: A Guide for the Creative Student

Creative Education: A Guide for the Creative Teacher

“Andy is such a passionate champion for authentic skills development, the recognition of creativity in young people and accessible creative pathways into the arts.”

Richard Woods - Create Britain

Andy will be supporting the development and overseeing our Companion Guide to the Conservatoire for Classical Guitar Students as a work in progress with classical arrangements of the music of Dominic Miller for Classical Guitar, Guitar Duo, Guitar & Flute Duo, Guitar & Violin, Guitar & Cello, Quartets and Ensembles. He will also be consulting on the development of contemporary guitar tutorials on-line to support students and teachers to ensure a standardised approach to delivery and assessment of progress with practical and collaborative performances pieces.

Andy will also be consulting on the development of contemporary guitar tutorials on-line to support students and teachers to ensure a standardised approach to delivery and assessment of progress with practical and collaborative performances pieces.

These tutorials will be accessible via a QR code on the ‘Guitar Nation Foundation '3 CHORDS & THE TRUTH' Ealing Blues guitar designed with inspiring graphics and re-usable stickers of chords and chord progressions. The guitar will be a good quality acoustic guitar with a built-in tuner at a subsidiised by GNF low price point for schools and students to support accessibility and opportunity to learn guitar. Inspired by the legacy of the Ealing Club and the artists who met, heard and started playing RnB, Blues and Rock crafting their art in this important and notable place n the development of the British Blues and Rock sound and history.

Creative Education for the Creative Student & Creative Education

for the Creative Teacher 

Creative Teacher

This book looks at the multifaceted aspects of teaching and learning, emphasising the significance of student-centred approaches. It explores the idea of teachers as creative artists, drawing parallels between the techniques used in creative fields and the strategies that can be applied in education. The text also highlights the importance of embedding other subjects into the curriculum and the importance of developing engaging projects in context of the subject.

Key Themes Explored:

Student-Centred Learning: The text emphasises the importance of understanding and addressing the individual needs and learning styles of students. This involves creating a supportive and inclusive classroom environment where students feel valued and empowered to take ownership of their learning.

Development and Delivery: Creating realistic, engaging and relevant learning materials, projects that inspire and reflect the industry. Using context throughout to relate to the subject and surrounding social, political and environmental issues within the creative landscape.

Teacher as Creative Artist: The analogy of teachers as creative artists suggests that effective teaching requires a blend of creativity, innovation, and adaptation. Teachers must be able to design engaging and meaningful learning experiences that capture students' interest and inspire a lifelong love of learning.

Interdisciplinary Learning: The text highlights the benefits of incorporating other subjects into the curriculum to provide a more holistic and engaging learning experience. By connecting different disciplines, students can develop a deeper understanding of the world around them and see how knowledge can be applied in real-world contexts.

Assessment and Feedback: The importance of regular assessment and feedback is emphasised to monitor student progress and provide timely support. Effective assessment practices should be aligned with learning objectives and provide students with valuable insights into their strengths and areas for improvement.

By exploring these key themes, this text offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing educators today. It provides a framework for developing effective teaching practices that promote student engagement, understanding, and success. In addition to the themes mentioned above, the text also explores the concept of the Four Stages of Conscience Competence, which outlines the developmental process that students go through as they become aware of their own learning. This framework can help teachers to support students at different stages of their learning journey and provide appropriate guidance and support.

Creative Student

This book has been developed over time and working with other creative educators, and it hopefully will help define and support the academic foundations needed to successfully progress academically, which will give you experiences and time to develop as an artist resulting in one of the most important attributes for this industry - confidence. This is not a guarantee however, you as an individual should use this information as you need, you may apply some of the techniques and reflect on the results, did it work? If not use another approach, you may wish to use this as a textbook for reference, your choice. The only thing is there is no narrative, and it will never be made into a film, so let's get started.

The teacher will benefit from both books, one for teaching the other to better understand their students.

The student book is written for the student as a guide and hopefully better understand themselves and learning styles. It is is also useful for parents to understand their children as creative students.