Art and Design
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.Pope John Paull II
Intent
At SJS, we value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. Art and Design provides opportunities for children to develop as independent, confident and successful learners, with high aspirations, who know how to make a positive contribution to their community and the wider society.
We believe that Art is a vital part of children’s education and has a significant and valuable role in the taught curriculum, as well as the enrichment opportunities we offer our pupils. Our Art Curriculum will develop children’s critical abilities and understanding of their own and others’ cultural heritages through studying a diverse range of artists.
Through our art curriculum, children will develop their understanding of the visual language of art with effective teaching and considered sequences of lessons and experiences. Understanding of the visual elements of art and design (line, tone, texture, colour, pattern, shape, 3D form) will be developed by providing a curriculum which will enable children to reach their full potential.
Our children will gain experience and skills of a wide range of formal elements of art in a way that will enhance their learning opportunities, enabling them to use art and design across a range of subjects to be creative and solve problems, ensuring they make progress.
Implementation
All pupils access the Art and Design curriculum at SJS. In the EYFS, through Expressive Arts, children are encouraged to explore different media, explore how media can be combined to create different effects and develop a range of skills and techniques experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. Children are given daily access to a range of creative opportunities and enjoy our carefully planned and well-resourced creative areas both indoors and out. Children are encouraged to create on both small and large scales and our outdoor environment supports this well. 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.
Specific Art and Design lessons take place during our termly cycle. Curriculum Maestro knowledge rich projects are used to support planning, ensuring a spiral curriculum focused on key elements of colour, line, shape, texture, light and dark and design, as well as incorporating a range of media and disciplines and developing knowledge of key artists in history. Coverage is carefully considered to ensure that learning within and between each mixed-age class is broad and allows for progression of knowledge and skills. Progression statements are used alongside unit plans to ensure age-related skills progression from initial starting points within any one project.
Throughout their learning in Art and Design, every child is given the opportunity to learn the skills of drawing, painting, printing, sculpture and digital art through the exploration of key artists, craft makers, designers and their work. Children use a sketchbook to make initial sketches, develop skills, record ideas and develop opinions. We give the child ownership of their sketchbook in order to foster their sense of creativity. Through in-depth discussion, the pupils explore how their art can share commonalities with famous art and use subject-specific vocabulary to discuss key artworks and their own work. In the development of confident art critics, the pupils share their opinions and make informed observations about what will improve their own practical work. Opportunities to reflect and develop, including through the use of sketchbooks, and chances for self and peer-assessment are planned into each unit of study in KS1 and KS2.
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.
Pupils should be taught:
• 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.
Impact
The impact of the Art and Design curriculum is monitored regularly by the Art and Design subject leader through pupil discussion, samples of work and discussion with teachers. The impact of individual lessons are monitored by teachers in a variety of ways including end of lesson reflection in line with the school’s feedback policy and on-going formative assessment. Whole school show cases are displayed at the end of each unit to celebrate achievement across the school.
Early Years
Our curriculum begins in the Early Years where our children will:
• Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function
• Share their creations, explaining the process they have used
• Make use of props and materials when role playing characters in narratives and stories
• Hold a pencil effectively in preparation for fluent writing – using the tripod grip in almost all cases
• Use a range of small tools, including scissors, paint brushes and cutlery
• Begin to show accuracy and care when drawing
This will be achieved through:
• Exploring the learning environment, both inside and out
• Targeted activities to develop fine motor skills
• Mark making opportunities
• High quality resources being readily available
• Listening to stories and reading high quality picture books
• Role playing
• Skills based learning
Inclusion
Equal Opportunities:
We plan our classroom activities to challenge and involve all pupils appropriately, according to age and capability, ethnic diversity, gender and language background
- We are aware of different learning styles and the need to allow pupils to be able to work in their preferred learning styles for some of the time
- We use materials for teaching which avoid stereo-typing, and bias, towards race, gender, role or disability
- We deal with such issues clearly and sensitively when they arise
Adaption
Children with special educational needs or disabilities will be differentiated for and supported appropriately, to ensure development of skills and equal access to the art curriculum. All children will be supported through differentiation, adaptation or adult support, to enable equal access to learning in Art and Design. Children will study and experience a range of artists and cultures that reflect the diversity of our school, locality and wider communities.
Skills Progression
Using Curriculum Maestro our curriculum includes a robust skills and knowledge progression framework, which sets out clear end-of-year expectations for every subject. These expectations are age-related and linked to specific activities, making tracking progress, identifying children’s individual needs, and planning targeted next steps effective and informative.