The Arts Award started in October 2005 giving an accredited qualification to young people in everything from rock music to photography. As Nick Beach, deputy director of performing and creative arts at Trinity College London, it’s coming of age.

It used to be hard for colleges to take artistic capability seriously, simply because it was difficult to quantify. Now, it is a genuine key to university life for youngsters who might never have thought of it.

And it’s down to the Arts Award.

Launched by ACE four years ago, it is the first accredited award scheme to recognise young people’s development through the arts. More than that, this national qualification for young people aged 11-25, Arts Award supports students to develop as artists and arts leaders, and it’s working.

Arts Award – offered at three levels, bronze, silver and gold – is being used by the Universities of Hertfordshire, Southampton and University of the Arts London to reach young people who might not have considered going on to higher education by giving them a flavour of university life.

“Delivering the Arts Award in a university setting has made a real difference to participants and how they perceive higher education, and knowing they have as much right to participate in university as everyone else” says Ronda Gowland, Arts Award adviser for the John Hansard Gallery at Southampton University.

Ronda’s team has led over 30 young people on intensive supervision and surveillance programmes (ISSP) through their bronze qualification, supporting 16 year-old Carl Morgan, to achieve a gold award earlier this year who is aiming for an art foundation course next academic year.

“I learned that I can express my views through art and that there are lots of things young people can do in the arts” he says Carl. “It helped me to learn to be more focused and think about what I want to do in the future.”