Art and Design

Intent:

At St. Clare’s, we place a great emphasis on the importance of Art and Design and the subject is accessible to all, regardless of SEND, EAL, PP etc.. Through the delivery of a high-quality art education, we aim to engage, inspire and challenge pupils, enabling them to express themselves in a creative, imaginative manner and through exploration.

We teach the children a knowledge and skills-based curriculum with individuality and creativeness flowing through everything they do. Carefully selected artists, designers and crafts people have been chosen to expose the children to a wide range of art forms, important world messages and different artistic styles.

We have carefully linked our art topics to wider areas of the school curriculum and always look for local links so that Art and Design is as real and relevant to the children as possible. Children will learn the skills of drawing, painting, printing, collage, and 3D form and are given the opportunity to explore and evaluate different creative ideas. Through gaining knowledge of diverse range of famous artists, sculptors and crafts-people, they will develop an understanding of how Art and Design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and freedom of expression in an eve- changing world.  

In Art and Design lessons, pupils will be taught;

• how to explore and developing ideas using sketchbooks
• to use a variety of materials
• to produce test pieces and final pieces of art 
• to Evaluation and developing work while building their knowledge

As they progress through each year group, they will develop their own styles and techniques and apply the practical and theoretical knowledge that they have acquired.

Tony Bullock (our visiting artist) works with all classes to enrich our curriculum through Art days and learning about themes in modern and classical art. 

Implementation:

Lessons in the EYFS are planned using the Expressive Art and Design Programme of Study, enhanced by the use of further guidance and objectives within the EYFS Development Matters 2021. In Early years, Art plays a very important role in children's development. They are taught to represent their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music and dance. They safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design texture, form and function. 

In Years 1-6, a teacher will plan Art and Design using the Whole School Coverage document which details on the knowledge, key area of study and the artists we want children to learn about. The St Clare’s Art Curriculum complements the National Curriculum and takes into consideration the key findings of the Ofsted: Research Review Series: Art and Design (Ofsted February 2023)

We have carefully considered and explicitly planned the 3 suggested Knowledge Domains (Ofsted February 2023)

• ‘practical knowledge’, which is about developing technical proficiency – detailed in our Knowledge and Skills Document
• ‘theoretical knowledge’, which is the cultural and contextual content that pupils learn about artists and artwork – detailed in our Whole School Coverage
• ‘disciplinary knowledge’, which is what pupils learn about how art is studied, discussed and judged - detailed in our Knowledge and Skills Document

Our whole school coverage builds progression across each year groups so that pupils feel confident to apply skill independently as they move through the school. This is mapped out explicitly in our Knowledge and Skills Document.  Through providing this level of detail, it allows children to progress from experimenting with a range of materials to inventing and creating their own pieces of artwork using specific resources and techniques.

Through effective teaching and considered sequences of lessons and experiences, teachers lead discussion and model the correct skills to pupils. Teachers use the NSAED planning for learning guidance to support this process;

Teachers provide children with opportunities to practise and develop mastery in the key processes of drawing, painting, collage, printing, 3D form and sculpture. These 5 key areas have been carefully selected to ensure that children become highly proficient in several areas of art, rather than covering many areas superficially (Ofsted Feb 2023).

Drawing, painting and 3D form have been selected as they are fundamental to all art forms and are statutory requirements of the National Curriculum. 

Printing has been selected as part of our broad and balanced curriculum offer as the cultural capital of our local area means we have access to the printing gallery at the Moorside Mills Industrial Museum which in walking distance of the school. Famous artist and printer William Morris has wallpaper on permanent exhibit at the Mill. Furthermore, staff have also undergone training in printing to support their technical knowledge of printing processes.

Collage has also been selected as many of the great artists in our curriculum, Picasso, Matisse, Jeffers, Warhol etc.. used mixed media in their art collections. Collage is an excellent way for children to experiment with ideas when they are working in their sketchbooks. Pupils will also be exposed to photography and will use their own photographs in their sketchbooks when conducting art field work; this could be simple photography of flowers in the school grounds in Year 1, to visiting the “Grandad’s Clock and Chair Sculpture” in Bradford’s Little Germany in Year 4.

Pupils are encouraged to reflect, evaluate and analyse creative works, as well as their own, using the language of art, craft and design. The progression of vocabulary document supports children in learning the language of Art.

The evaluation process is supported through the use of sketchbooks from Years 1 to 6 which gives the children the opportunity to practise, revisit and review their work. As well as developing proficiency in skills, children will have a knowledge of great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms and use this knowledge in their evaluation of work. This ensures that children understand the context of the artwork and are inspired by the artists and designers they study. 

We proudly display pupils’ artwork throughout school in order to motivate and inspire others and to celebrate the pupil’s artwork. Each year children are able to enter art work to the BCWCAT annual Art exhibition, giving a real sense of purpose to their creating.

Through Art and Design activities, we hope to contribute to the development of the whole child emotionally, spiritually, cognitively and socially.

Impact:

• Children will become creative learners, who have a web of knowledge about the great artists of the world.
• Children are motivated and confident in creating and investigating artistic styles and techniques 
• Art knowledge and appreciation is developed and shared in class and displayed around the school. 
• Pupils have the confidence to evaluate and analyse different forms of art work including that of others and their own.
• Pupils have knowledge of great artists, craft makers and designers.
• To use a rich and vibrant vocabulary to express their ideas and views.
• Develop confidence, have a go, resilient learners.
• Creativity and uniqueness will be celebrated and children will become astute at editing and improving pieces they have created.
• Children will be given opportunities to enter art competitions and to enjoy visits and trips to enhance their art curriculum.

Examples of Pupil Work:

Pupil Voice:

“ I enjoy art because I get to express myself in my drawings.”

“I find art fun because I get to make things with clay like Roman pots.”

“ I like art because we make paints sometimes out of leaves and flowers.”

“My teachers make art fun and we can work together.”

“Mr Bullock is the bet teacher ever, I am good at art now he showed me how to draw.”

Assessing Art:

Formative assessment is used to guide the process of individual pupils in Art and Design. It involves identifying each child’s progress in each aspect of the curriculum, determining what each child has learnt and what should therefore be the next step in their learning. Formative assessment is mostly carried out informally by the teachers in the course of their teaching and should be based on the identified assessment opportunities

Children are assessed against the skills grids for each year group. This is recorded on Arbor, our school tracking system.

Sketchbooks:

 Sketchbooks are used from Year 1 through to Year 6 to regularly record, collect and explore ideas and images and other information relevant to current and ongoing work. It is important that children see art as a process, rather than a finished piece. The sketchbook is an essential and personal record although teachers will teach children when it is appropriate to use them and for what purposes including reviewing the contents to ensure the purpose of the sketchbook at frequent intervals. It is also essential that all children use a sketchbook that is similar in format.

The contents of the sketchbook could include:

Experiments with using various marking media drawings in a range of media that are:

• A record of what has been seen
• Preparatory studies for further work
• The development of ideas for further study
• Photograph and other illustrative material to support on going work
• Colour schemes and trials
• A record of observations seen outside the classroom which will be used a reference material for further work, for example on a school visit
• Details of something that will be drawn or painted in entirety
• ICT prints and image manipulations

Sketchbooks are an essential record of an individual child's experiences and ideas throughout a year and key stage and will be seen as evidence for assessment and reporting purposes.

Progression of Vocabulary: