Art
“The arts are not a frill. They have a wonderful universality. Art has the potential to unify. It can speak in many languages without a translator. The arts do not discriminate. The arts can lift us up.”
Barbara Jordan
Intent statement:
Our art curriculum at Stanley Primary School aims to engage, inspire and challenge pupils across the seven areas of art. We believe that participating in art allows children to immerse themselves in their own creativity and imagination and gives them a chance to demonstrate their strengths. Art should present children with a safe place to express themselves and the opportunity to communicate their views and opinions through the use of colour, texture, form and pattern. Through the curriculum we aim to create opportunities for pupils to explore many different aspects of making, helping pupils understand the ways art connects us to our past, helps us embrace the present and empowers us to shape our future. By exploring why art is relevant to all, we aim to make certain that pupils feel entitled to develop their creativity and understand their place in the world as creative, confident beings. Good quality teaching of art will ensure that pupils have time to explore, experiment and practice in a variety of ways and then express themselves through a final piece. Pupils will become proficient in the seven areas of art – line, shape, form, tone, colour, pattern, texture and value and will develop the skills to reflect and discuss their work with their peers.
Implementation:
Beginning with the EYFS curriculum, pupils will be provided with the opportunities to develop their skills and understanding of colour, line, shape, form and texture through a mixture of child initiated and adult focused activities. Through a high-quality provision, pupils develop an understanding of a range of materials and media in order to manipulate and create different effects. They decide on the techniques to use and are given the opportunity to adapt their ideas where necessary.
Key stage 1 and 2 follow the Access Art Pathway split curriculum and will complete three pathways over the year. This is a holistic curriculum that nurtures creative thinking skills and helps ensure pupils learn through art as well as about art. Through its flexible approach, the Pathway has an emphasis on taking teaching and learning on a journey, which empowers teachers and pupils to become confident creative decision makers. By creating opportunities for pupils to explore different art forms and artists, practice skills and develop techniques and create individual pieces of art, pupils will learn a wide range of skills, develop understanding and show clear progression. Learning is built through weaving and layering and revisiting experiences and children are given lots of opportunities and experiences (media, techniques, artists and approaches) and these are all underpinned by the creative use of the sketchbook. To support teaching and learning, children are presented with a number of “talking points” resources which introduce children to a wide variety of artists, designers and craftspeople from across the world. Children are exposed to contemporary artists alongside more traditional artists. The idea of this exposure, is so pupils can learn how others view the world rather than to make copies of their work. Each pathway follows a format which supports excellent teaching and learning:
Warm up: Artists: Activity: Reflection
Artists: Materials: Activity: Reflection
Challenge or Brief: Artist: Activity: Reflection
Stanley Primary School openly promotes art and design as a possible further study or career choice. Encouraging each child to evaluate their art and design work and that of others, both with peers and adults. Celebrating effort, progress and achievement in art through displays, exhibitions and enrichment activities, including trips out and competitions.
Impact
Each child will develop their skills and techniques in a way appropriate to them, through clear differentiation and support, active and purposeful experiences, and using a variety of art materials and teaching strategies. Children will be more likely to choose to study art throughout their school careers and possibly consider art and design as a career choice in the future. Children will build confidence utilising a sketchbook approach, so that children feel safe to experiment and take risks, without the fear of doing something “wrong”.
Our wish is for pupils to have learned, improved and embedded a range of artistic skills. They should have an awareness of a broad range of artists and craftspeople, and be able to consider and discuss the artworks they come across. We want our pupils to be confident to explore, experiment and take risks, placing value on the process and journey that they take, not just on the finished product. Most importantly, we want children to have found and enjoyed a creative outlet – a means of self-expression and enjoyment.
Pupils are given time and space to respond and explore to the repeated rhythm of the approach. The Pathway provides time to balance repeated practices with new experiences. Pupils have opportunities for quiet approaches as well as active and dynamic activities and time to work alone as well as time to work collaboratively. This allows pupils to spend time developing and exploring their own likes and dislikes and establish their own style. Pupils become familiar with a variety of artists which broadens their cultural capital whilst igniting their own creative side. Each pupil will be the proud owner of their own sketchbooks which reflects their personality, artistic style and reflects the journey they have been on and the skills they have developed. The Pathway supports the development of confident artists who are able to reflect on their own work in a positive way and see themselves as artists.
Our Art Curriculum Overview
