Art & Design
‘Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.’ (National Curriculum 2014)
Intent
The National Curriculum for art and design aims to ensure all pupils produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences, become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques. Pupils should be able to evaluate and analyse existing creative works using the language of art, craft and design. They should know about great artist, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.
At Scotton Lingerfield primary School our aim is to enable pupils to become creative and reflective learners who are able to express themselves fluently and confidently in a variety of different ways. Our art curriculum is carefully designed to embrace our whole-school values. Pupils are given the opportunity to learn about artists and designers from across the world and throughout history, so they can embrace global and cultural differences. Giving pupils the opportunity to develop and create their own unique pieces of art ensures they develop a strong sense of identity. Within the early years, pupils are encouraged to appreciate and respect our environment through ongoing observations that feed into their artwork. This respect of the environment is developed further through the use of recyclable materials in sculpture.
Running through the centre of our art curriculum there are three key areas, drawing, painting and sculpture, which we feel provide coherence throughout the curriculum and support children in building knowledge. We recognise the importance of repetition of knowledge and skills for children to make progress and have ensure that opportunities are planned to practice techniques to ensure pupils develop skills and produce good quality work within these three areas. We aim to deliver an exciting, rich and forward thinking art education.
Implementation
At Scotton Lingerfield Primary School we view art and design as a distinct subject. Our curriculum is designed to enable children to progressively develop skills and knowledge. Teachers plan every art unit using our lesson sequencing guide. This ensures that lessons are planned consistently and in line with the knowledge and skills in our progression document, thus ensuring the requirements of the National Curriculum are met.
Children begin their sketchbook journey in Reception where they work collaboratively to collect, experiment, share ideas and refine their skills. Each pupil from Year 1- 6 has their own sketchbook, in which they can record ideas, practice new techniques, evaluate their work and further refine their skills.
Our art curriculum interleaves with our reading curriculum to develop pupils’ historical and cultural understanding. Pupils are given the opportunity to experience a wide variety of art movements; they study the work of a wide range of artists - male, female and from varied cultural backgrounds. We focus on the historical ‘great’ artists alongside contemporary artists. Pupils are encouraged to discuss and justify their likes and dislikes of a wide variety of art pieces. They use their views and evaluations to develop their own works of art.
In EYFS, children are given daily access to a range of creative provision, both indoors and outdoors. This is planned and resourced by the class teacher to provide the children with a range of experiences and materials to work with. Children are encouraged to create on both small and large scales throughout the environment whilst using a range of techniques and materials. Children are encouraged to develop their communication and language skills through talking about their creations and sharing these with others to build confidence and raise self-esteem. Artwork is displayed, shared and celebrated within the EYFS class environment and home school communications on Tapestry.
In KS1 and KS2, art is taught in blocks half-termly and alternates with D&T. Children follow the school’s art long term plan which enables them to develop their skills progressively in the areas of drawing, painting and printing, and sculpture.
School visits and visitors are facilitated where appropriate to enhance the pupils’ understanding and skills further.
Impact
Throughout their time at Scotton Lingerfield Primary School pupils will gain a wide ranging knowledge of art history which can be applied in many other areas through their lives. They will have a solid foundation in the fundamental knowledge and skills for drawing, painting and sculpture by the time they leave us in Y6. They will be fully equipped to further their learning as they move into KS3 and beyond.
Assessment and Monitoring
At the beginning of each unit, children complete a pre-unit task to ascertain their understanding and allow gaps in learning to be identified. In art this is structured in a way to not only check knowledge and skills but also creativity. This enables the teacher to provide additional support if required.
Following each unit, children complete the post-unit assessment at spaced intervals. These recalls allow children to recall previously learnt knowledge and skills. Children are supported in addressing these gaps throughout these sessions.
Regular recalls support assessment of children. Results are added to tracking grids, which support end of year judgements.
The subject leader monitors the subject through:
- Learning walks
- Book Scrutiny
- Planning Scrutiny
- Data/assessment scrutiny
- Pupil voice
