Art & Design
This is an extract from the Art curriculum policy with information for parents (full policy available on request):
Curriculum Intent:
At Seely Primary School, we believe that teaching and learning in art is important because it stimulates creativity, imagination and inventiveness. The purpose of art education is to give pupils the skills, concepts and knowledge necessary for them to express responses to ideas and experiences in a visual or tactile form. It enables children to communicate what they see, feel and think through the use of colour, texture, form, pattern and different materials and processes. Children become involved in shaping their environments through art and design activities. Through this, the children learn to make informed judgements and aesthetic and practical decisions.
We ensure that children explore ideas and meanings through the work of artists and designers. Wherever appropriate, art it is linked to other areas of the curriculum and gives children the opportunities to develop specific art skills and reinforces skills already established.
At Seely, we aim to maximise the opportunities afforded to us through visual art to bring enrichment and excitement to the curriculum. We will celebrate the success and achievement of all pupils through The Arts, as well as celebrate cultural diversity and use this as a stimulus for The Arts, not only in developing the curriculum but also providing pupils a wider world.
Pedagogy and Implementation:
Teaching and Organisation
Our principal aim is to develop the children’s knowledge, skills and understanding. We ensure that the act of investigating and making something includes exploring and developing ideas and evaluating and developing work, including work in two and three dimensions and on different scales using a wide range of materials and resources, including ICT. The children are taught art as part of their termly or half-termly topic work.
In Key Stage 1 and 2, sketchbooks are used and children regularly record, experiment and explore ideas as well as practising using a range of tools and materials in their sketchbooks. The art sketchbook is an essential and personal record to ensure a progression of skills.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
The different aspects of the arts are encompassed within Expressive Arts and Design in the Foundation Stage curriculum; however, elements can also be found in other areas of learning (Physical development, Literacy and Mathematics). This curriculum lends itself to an integrated approach to learning within the Early Years Curriculum. There is an emphasis on independence and self-initiated learning, which enables foundation stage children to freely explore resources and pursue their own creative interests and talents in addition to the planned learning experiences.
Key Stage One (KS1)
Pupils are 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
Key Stage Two (KS2)
Throughout KS2, pupils are 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 are 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.
Access for all
We make sure that all children access the Art curriculum and achieve success, therefore ensuring that adapted tasks where pertinent allow them to develop and extend their depth of knowledge and understanding so that they can demonstrate successfully what they know, understand and can do.
Wider Curriculum
Children at Seely are invited to express themselves through art across the curriculum, including through display work, homework activities and focused initiatives. Seely engages with a number of partnerships, including Sherwood Arts Week, Nottingham Contemporary and local artists to enhance curriculum learning. Shakespeare Week each year focuses on expressive art techniques.
Seely is working towards gold Artsmark award. Pupil Arts Ambassadors are appointed to ensure diverse art is represented across school and be part of the Artsmark working party.
The ‘artist of the month’ ensures that children are being introduced to a wide range of diverse artists and are encouraged to discuss art techniques, media and stories. Children vote for their favourite piece of artwork by the focus artist at the end of each month.
