Art Curriculum Intent
The curriculum is planned and sequenced into yearly projects with the explicit teaching of skills running alongside. We make links between our wider projects and the teaching of Art and Design to enrich learning, support connections to develop across different areas of learning and to bring the curriculum to life with exciting opportunities. Our Art and Design projects are planned specifically with our children in mind, giving them an awareness of art in the world around them and broadening their minds by the study of artists from differing gender, eras and cultural backgrounds. Using the children’s starting points as a base from which to plan, we are aware of the emerging motor skills and data from Foundation Stage and hence, how the physical skills and technical aspects need to be built upon carefully each year to address these needs.
SEND children access the same inclusive curriculum in Art and Design and are encouraged to improve and revisit skills for long term memory. Art media is also used as a means of expression, exploration and sensory play for those with SEND.
Art Curriculum Implementation
Each year group has a set of progressive skills developed by all staff from F1 to Year 2. Around these, art lessons have been designed and based on wider year group projects. For example, manipulating clay with tools to make animals as part of a Science project on the structure of animals. Sequences of learning are planned in a way that children can build on and revisit knowledge and skills and apply what they have previously learnt. Lessons are designed to incorporate teacher modelling and questioning, experimenting with and exploring media and practical tasks where progress in skills is visible and expected. Teachers demonstrate passion in lessons about using art as a means of expression but are careful to recognise and teach the small steps. Sketchbooks are used in KS1 throughout the journey of children’s thinking and practice and are valued as a vehicle for not only finished pieces but also the processes towards these.
QFT is available to all children and reasonable adjustments are made for SEND when accessing Art lessons, for example, guidance and modelling and opportunities to practise.
Art Curriculum Impact
Our provision and delivery enables us to measure the impact of what we are teaching children; the way we teach skills help us to assess small steps of learning accurately. Our assessment records highlight children that are not meeting ARE. These children can then become our focus when we revisit knowledge and skills. In Art and Design, progress can be very visible in the work children produce, particularly technical skill and creativity. Appreciation and recognition of other artists and styles of art can be reflected on by the use of our ‘learning walls’ in every classroom. Always being visible and accessible, these displays promote conversations and questions between the teacher and children at any opportunity. The ‘flip book’ also generates recall about learning that has take place. Children talking about previous learning regularly really helps consolidate knowledge, question, share ideas with others, embedding and encouraging new learning. For example; a picture of a colour wheel promotes talk about colour mixing, primary and secondary colours, complementary colours. Children use their sketchbooks to show a ‘journey’ of their thinking and work. They feel confident to practise, try out ideas and make mistakes.
We make art accessible to all groups of children. We feel all children have the right to enjoy art and access opportunities at their own level and develop their own creativity. Art will mean different things to different children; for some it is expression, and for some, skill. We find for children with SEN and learning difficulties, art can be a real talent and we draw on this to promote self-esteem and celebrate different intelligences.
On Monday 7th October, the whole school took part in a special Art Day focused on the theme “Me, Myself and I”. Each year group explored self-portraits, with a different artistic focus including collage, painting, drawing, and printing, alongside the study of a range of inspiring artists.
A key focus throughout the day was understanding how art can support mental health and wellbeing. Children learned that making time and space to be creative can help us express thoughts, feelings, and emotions in a positive way. This theme ran through every class, giving children opportunities to reflect on themselves and communicate their ideas through art.
In Nursery, children enjoyed linking their artwork to the story Marvellous Me. They created colourful self-portraits using collaged crepe paper and drawing, supported by carefully planned continuous provision activities. These activities encouraged curiosity and independence while reinforcing the theme of self-portraits.
The Reception classes explored the work of collage artist Brianna McCarthy. Children created fabulous collaged self-portraits and thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with a range of materials. They showed great curiosity and creativity, resulting in some wonderful pieces of artwork.
Year 1 had a fantastic time learning about Pablo Picasso. The children were enthusiastic and quickly grasped Picasso’s ideas around abstract faces. Using watercolours and oil pastels, they created vibrant and expressive abstract self-portraits. Teachers were incredibly proud of the children’s engagement and outcomes.
In Year 2, children explored the contemporary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. They were inspired by her repeating dot patterns and bold, vibrant colours. The children experimented with printing dots in a variety of ways, and the day was a huge success, filled with creativity, excitement, and confidence.
The Art Day was a joyful celebration of creativity, self-expression, and wellbeing, and we are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm, thoughtfulness, and creativity shown by all our children.