Intent of our Art Curriculum
“Art makes you feel like YOU”.
“Art is a great way to come together as a class.”
“In art lessons we find our own style.”
“Art takes your mind to a whole new world.”
(Pupil Voice)
At St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School & Nursery, we encourage our students to see themselves as artists and designers. Our aim is for all pupils to feel confident to express their God-given creative talents and to discover their own unique style. Within our lessons, pupils will explore a range of materials, articulate their ideas using artistic vocabulary and progressively develop their mastery of art and design techniques. Through exploration of artists and their work, pupils will enrich their imaginations and take inspiration for their own original artwork. Art can be an expression of individual creativity but can also be a collaborative exercise, which brings us together and teaches us to respect other people’s experiences and individuality.
As with all areas of our curriculum, within Art and Design pupils are encouraged to take risks, show determination, resilience, and face challenges head-on! Pupils will learn to reflect on, evaluate and improve their work, making links to Art and Design across the curriculum.
Our carefully structured Art and Design curriculum enables pupils to achieve the NC endpoints and is enhanced by further enrichment activities. It also builds cultural capital and exposes pupils to a diverse range of artists, architects and designers.
Through our tailored curriculum the children will experience and develop the following:
- The ability to use visual language skilfully and convincingly (for example, line, shape, pattern, colour, texture, form) to express emotions, interpret observations,
- Opportunities to convey insights and accentuate their individuality.
- The ability to communicate fluently in visual and tactile form.
- The ability to draw confidently and adventurously from observation, memory and imagination.
- The ability to explore and invent marks, develop and deconstruct ideas and communicate perceptively and powerfully through purposeful drawing in 2D, 3D or digital media.
- An impressive knowledge and understanding of other artists, craft makers and designers.
- The ability to think and act like creative practitioners by using their knowledge and understanding to inform, inspire and interpret ideas, observations and feelings.
- Independence, initiative and originality which they can use to develop their creativity.
- The ability to select and use materials, processes and techniques skilfully and inventively to realise intentions and capitalise on the unexpected.
- The ability to reflect on, analyse and critically evaluate their own work and that of others.
- A passion for and a commitment to the subject
The key Art and Design skills and concepts are:
- Develop ideas
- Master techniques
- Take inspiration from the greats
Implementation of Art
At St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School, each of our artists has their own sketch book, in which they can record ideas, practise new techniques and to further refine their skills. These sketchbooks give our artists the opportunity to study an existing piece of art, create a constructive and reflective critique of this work and to use these ideas to develop their own piece of related art work, enabling pupils to show perseverance and dedication to complete any project to the best of their ability. Our artists are given the opportunities to explore a variety of media, therefore experimenting as sculptors, painters, illustrators and print-makers. Artists from different eras, cultures and countries are studied throughout the school to give our artists a balanced knowledge and understanding of Art concepts and skills. School visitors and trips are facilitated where appropriate to enhance the pupils’ understanding and skills further.
Impact
Due to the nature of this curriculum area, Art and Design monitoring takes various forms. A key component of this is pupil voice; school leaders use pupil voice as an effective tool to ascertain the pupils’ ability to express themselves through a range of different mediums. Sketch book monitoring throughout all year groups also takes place once a term to compliment this, allowing leaders to ensure our artists have the opportunity to develop their skills fully and showcase their talents. Examples of our artists’ work is exhibited throughout the school, both on classroom and communal displays.
Our pupils leave St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School with the knowledge to think like an artist, act like an artist and speak like an artist, and they value the transference of these skills into their everyday life, in education and beyond.
Art Progression of skills overview
Expressive Art & Design in EYFS: