Art and Design
‘It must not be forgotten that the basic law of children’s creativity is that its value lies not in its results, not in the product of creation, but in the process itself. It is not important what children create, but that they do create, that they exercise and implement their creative imagination‘ Vygotsky
INTENT
What do we teach? Why do we teach it?
At Sir Thomas Abney Primary School our art curriculum promotes curiosity and a thirst for learning. It contributes to children’s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection. Our Art & Design curriculum enables children of all abilities to communicate what they see, feel and think through the use of colour, texture, form, pattern and different materials and processes. Opportunities to practise art and design techniques are embedded across the art curriculum through the use of individual sketchbooks. As they progress through the school we provide them with the skills required to use vocabulary linked to art and design. This enables them to describe what they see in detail and to provide evidence for their observations.
The curriculum overview allows children to develop their understanding of their own and others’ cultural heritages through studying a diverse range of artists and designers throughout history.
The units that we teach are as follows:
EYFS – The Foundation Stage programmes of study for Understanding of the World are in the EYFS Development Matters
Year 1 – Mix it up, Funny Faces- Fabulous Features , Rain and Sun Rays and Streetview.
Year 2 – Mix it up, Still life, Flower Head and Portraits and Poses.
Year 3 –Contrast and Compliment, Prehistoric Pots, Ammonite, People and Places, Beautiful Botanics and Mosaic Masters
Year 4- Contrast and Compliment, Warp and Weft, Vista, Animal, Statues, Statuettes and Figurines and Islamic Art
Year 5- Tints, Tones and Shades, Taotie, Line, Light and Shadows, Nature’s Art, Mixed Media and Expressionism
Year 6 - Tints, Tones and Shades, Trailblazers, Barrier Breakers, Inuit, Environmental Artists, Distortion and Abstraction and Bees, Beetles and Butterflies
IMPLEMENTATION
How do we teach Art & Design and how does this look in practice?
To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in art and design, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Art and design is taught discreetly throughout Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. Within our Early Years children are encouraged to explore, use their imagination, experiment, make decisions and create with increasing complexity. Our Early Years classrooms are equipped with an abundance of painting, printing, craft and drawing resources which children can access and have their learning enhanced by a skilled practitioner. Across Key Stages 1 & 2 teachers plan lessons for their class using Curriculum Maestro and our progression of knowledge and skills documents. Teachers can use these documents to plan their art and design lessons suitable to their class’s interests and the skills they learn and build upon as they progress through the school. The progression document ensures the curriculum is covered and the skills/knowledge taught is progressive from year group to year group. A variety of teaching approaches are used and opportunities are given for pupils to produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.
Our exposure to art and artists coupled with the teaching of skills stimulates creativity and imagination. Pupils use colour, form, texture, pattern and different materials and processes to communicate what they see, feel and think. Through art and design activities, they learn to make informed value judgements and aesthetic and practical decisions, becoming actively involved in shaping environments. They explore the work of artists, craftspeople and designers. They learn about art, craft and design in contemporary life, and in different times and cultures. Understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts have the power to enrich our lives.
Educational visits are another opportunity for the teachers to plan for additional art learning outside the classroom. At Sir Thomas Abney Primary School, the children have many opportunities to experience art and design on educational visits. The children explore museums and art galleries and have multiple opportunities to bring these visits to life within their own pieces of art.
For more details, please see our: Art and Design Curriculum Overview; Art and Design National Curriculum; and a record of children’s work.
IMPACT
By the time our children leave our school:
Skills underpin the art curriculum at Sir Thomas Abney Primary School, the children will be taught art and design skills that they can apply through their time here and that they can carry through into secondary school and beyond in their journey to becoming artists.
Our art and design curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. We focus on progression of knowledge, skills and discreet vocabulary in all units of work.
The children will:
- have a secure knowledge of a range of artistic styles and techniques;
- knowledge about a range of artists, designers and architects;
- be able to talk in detail about their learning and the skills they have developed using high quality vocabulary;
- be provided with life-long skills and knowledge which could be used in the future to pursue different artistic avenues.