Intent:
Purpose of study Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. Teaching and learning of art and design 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.
A variety of opportunities should ensure that all pupils are able to experience a wide range of artistic opportunities, these should enable pupils to produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques, evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design. The children will know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.
Implementation
Our long term plan provides a rich and inspiring curriculum for all children from EYFS to year 6. Our creative curriculum allows for art to be placed into context along with key events, people and places and allows them to understand the effect artwork and artists have had on historical situations. Basic skills are introduced and then built upon, including drawing, printmaking, sketchbooks, painting and making. Skills are revisited and the use of ongoing sketchbook work underpins this process. The Mosaic Federation believes in fostering an open-ended exploration of creativity. Our resources do not follow prescriptive outcomes, instead we believe the role of the teacher is to introduce key skills, materials and ideas to the pupils in such a way that each pupil can then explore his or her own creativity. By creating a safe and nurturing environment, pupils are encouraged to take creative risks and to learn from the journey, rather than head towards a pre-defined end result. The resources and experiences provided are suitable for pupils of all abilities, and enable every child to really delve into their creativity.
National Curriculum
Our long term plan also takes into account the National Curriculum expectations for art and design. This ensures that 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
♣ evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
♣ know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.
Key Stage 1 Pupils should be taught:
- to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products
- to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination
- to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space
- about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.
Key stage 2 Pupils should be taught:
- to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.
- to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas
- to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials [for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay]
- about great artists, architects and designers in history.
We meet the National Curriculum expectations for art through our use of the AccessArt Scheme as well as a diverse range of creative teaching from EYFS to Key Stage 2 which is designed to be highly progressive and skills based. This ensures that the children are able to revisit and evolve skills consistently through school and therefore become masters of each of the main disciplines: drawing, painting, 3D Form, printing, collage and textiles. They will also be introduced to a range of key artists, movements and styles and will refer back to these on a regular basis.
Our children have opportunities to experience a range of experiences both in and outside of school. Educational visits are planned to include visits to local art galleries and museums as well as local landmarks so children can begin to develop an appreciation for different types and ages of art. We whole-heartedly embrace art within school; we have creative week and culture week which both focus on artistic practices around the world: the children get to immerse themselves in a style of art and become accustomed to the techniques used for some of the most popular artists.
Art is used as a stimulus for creativity, reflection and celebration and is a huge part of daily life in our school. It promotes positive behaviours, confidence, engagement and enjoyment where all children are given the opportunity to succeed.
Impact
We measure the impact of our art curriculum with various formative methods of assessment including self and peer assessment. Children appraise and suggest constructive developments for their own work and that of their peers. Evidence of children’s work in art can be found in their ongoing sketch books as well as work displayed around school and photos in books. The art coordinator monitors the teaching and evidence of art through observations and work and planning scrutinies. We use our Art Passport to revisit and revise prior learning and assess how the children have retained their learning.
As well as assessing the skills, knowledge and understanding that children have developed in the subject, we also consider their level of enjoyment and engagement. This enables us to identify the children for whom art is their gift. We endeavour to provide guidance and further opportunities to explore their talents and interest in this subject with extracurricular activities, visits from practising artists, community events and competitions or shows in our region. We also strive to provide opportunities for all children to witness well-known works of art by taking advantage of the plethora of wonderful art galleries that we have in our local area; including the Laing, Baltic and Shipley.
