ART
Subject Leader: Mrs Clayton
Our place in the world
We believe that the art we teach our children allows them to develop their own style through a variety of different media. We celebrate through our curriculum a wealth of artists ensuring that the children experience art projects inspired by art work and artists from around the world.
Language and oracy
Creating art expands a child’s ability to interact with the world around them, and provides a new set of skills for self-expression and communication. Our curriculum allows our children to develop their creativity, which is important throughout their lives. Our art curriculum gives plentiful opportunities for new vocabulary, which we can introduce, repeat and model.
Learning skills
We believe that the skills developed within our art curriculum support children’s life skills through developing their creativity, confidence, independence, logic, problem solving, perseverance, non-verbal expression and working collaboratively.
Healthy body, healthy mind
Through looking at artists of the month we enable the children to have aspirations for their future inspired by the journeys of artists and illustrators. We encourage all children to believe that they are artists and put no limit on supporting them to develop their own style of art throughout the topics we cover. Art fosters mental growth in children by providing opportunities for trying out new ideas, new ways of thinking and problem-solving.
Intent
At St Mary Magdalen’s, we recognise that Art and Design stimulates creativity and imagination. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a special way of understanding and responding to the world. It enables children of all abilities to communicate what they see, feel and think through the use of colour, texture, form, pattern and different materials and processes.
We encourage children to explore ideas and meanings through the work of a range of artists and designers. Through learning about the roles and functions of art, they can explore the impact it has had on contemporary life and that of different times and cultures.
The appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts enriches all our lives. Learning through and about the arts enriches the experience of studying while at school as well as preparing our pupils for life after school.
Art encourages self-expression and creativity and can help children to build confidence as well as a sense of individual identity. Creativity can also help with wellbeing and improving health and happiness acting as an outlet for releasing the pressures of studying as well as those of everyday life.
Art also help to develop critical thinking and the ability to interpret the world around us.
Through the teaching of art we encourage our pupils to:
- Think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design.
- Know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
- Produce creative work, exploring ideas and recording experiences.
- Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques. Evaluate and analyse their own and other’s finished creative works using the language of art, craft and design.
- Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.
Implementation
To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in art and design, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Art and design is taught as part of a termly topic, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. We ensure that art and design is given the same importance as the core subjects, as we feel this is important in enabling all children to gain ‘real-life’ experiences.
Our curriculum is sequenced in line with the EYFS Statutory Framework (2020), Development Matters (2020) and the National Curriculum for Art & Design (2013).
When teaching art and design, teachers should follow the children’s interests to ensure their learning is engaging, broad and balanced. A variety of teaching approaches are used based on the teacher’s judgement.
From Year R onwards each pupil will have a sketch book in which to doodle, draw, practice and refine. This is not a book to be marked but a book to feel comfortable sketching in, with the aim of allowing children to express themselves without the need for affirmation whilst developing penmanship.
Impact
Our Art curriculum should ensure that children leave St Mary Magdalen’s:
- With the confidence and passion for exploring a wide range of arts media.
- The ability to apply the key principles of art: line, tone, texture, shape, form, space, pattern, colour, contrast, composition, proportion and perspective.
- The ability to review, modify and refine their work.
- Understand the importance of the process of art and not just the final outcome
- An understanding of how to use their sketchbook to explore their thought and ideas
- An understanding of the work of a diverse group of artists, craftspeople and designers.
- The ability to express their opinion of the work of others, using increasingly precise art & design vocabulary.
How to support your child at home?
- Encourage your child to engage in learning more about the artist of the month
- Visit local art galleries (these are shared in our weekly newsletter)
- Use opportunities to take art sketchbooks out on day visits or even just to the park
- Talk to your child about art. What can they see? What do they like about it? What message do you think the artist is trying to portray?