Art
“Art speaks where words are unable to explain.”
Threadless Artist Mathiole
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”
Edgar Degas
Art, Craft and Design prepares children to deal with tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. It encourages children to become independent, creative problem-solvers and thinkers as individuals, and as part of a team. It enables them to develop and extend skills and gives them an opportunity to express their individual interests, thoughts and ideas.
‘Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.’ National Curriculum
It is the intent of Ivy Bank for art to be taught in all year groups through at least one topic per term. The school believes that art is a vital part of children’s education and has a significant and valuable role in the taught curriculum; allowing curiosity, creativity and self –expression to develop alongside resilience, confidence and critical thinking skills. The art curriculum will develop children’s critical abilities and understanding of their own and others’ cultural heritages through studying a diverse range of male and female artists, makers and designers.
Children will develop their understanding of the visual language of art with effective teaching and a considered sequence of lessons and experiences. Understanding of the formal elements of art and design (line, tone, texture, colour, pattern, shape, 3D form) will be developed by providing a curriculum which will enable children to reach their full potential and develop keys skills of both thinking and making within the context of the subject and as transferable skills.
The teaching of Art and Design follows the National Curriculum and EYFS Development Matters, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children.
Our chosen scheme, Kapow, directs our teaching and is designed to be taught in a sequential order ensuring we cover the requirements of the National Curriculum. The scheme has categorised the content into five areas:
- Making: painting, drawing, printing, creating 2 & 3D art and crafting
- Generating ideas: taking inspiration from a range of artists and crafts people
- Formal elements: colour, form, line, pattern, shape, texture and tone
- Knowledge of artists’: work and techniques
- Evaluating: critiquing their own work and that of others
These areas are linked to the assessment criteria created by the National Society for Education in Art and Design.
The emphasis on knowledge ensures that children understand the context of the artwork, as well as the artists, makers and designers that they are learning about and being inspired by. A similar focus on skills means that children are given opportunities to express their creative imagination and become visually literate, as well as practise and develop mastery in the key processes of art: drawing, painting, printing, digital art, textile, mixed media and sculpture.
In EYFS:
Within EYFS, ‘Development Matters’ will be used as a guide to help pupils to develop their knowledge and skills of Art, primarily within 'Expressive Arts and Design' and 'Physical Develeopment' as well as many other areas of the EYFS curriculum. Within Early years we aim to provide children with the essential building blocks so that capabilities are established. There are many opportunities for carrying out Art and Design-related activities in all areas of learning in the EYFS. Early years aims to promote children’s ability to explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques and experiment with colour, design, texture, form and function. Children will then expand on what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about uses and purposes; representing their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through art.
In Key Stage 1:
Within key stage 1 we also aim to develop design, creativity and problem solving through purposeful projects, which promote the children's skills in developing as individuals and as part of a team. Each year group features a topic focusing on the explicit development of art, craft and design skills and on the formal elements of art: colour, form, line, shape, texture, tone and pattern. These skills are applied and developed further in a chosen topic.
In Key Stage 2:
Within key stage 2 key events and individuals that have influenced the world of Art and Design are teaching foci that are to be covered.? Each year group will 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. Links to the creative and cultural industries will also be referenced in a contemporary curriculum design.
Sketch books will be used from year 1 - 6 to record their observations, thoughts, feelings and ideas. They will be used to experiment with various media, develop skills and try out techniques and processes, and use them to review and revisit ideas.
Below is a Whole School overview of our Art Curriculum. For more information about our Art Curriculum, please read the documents below.