Art & Design Curriculum Overview

Intent

At Claremont Primary School, we recognise that Art & Design stimulates creativity and imagination. It promotes careful observation and an appreciation of the world around us. We believe it is a vital part of children’s education, with a significant and valuable role in developing our pupil’s full educational potential as well as life-long learning. 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, imagine, feel and think through the visual elements of Art & Design (colour, line, tone, texture, shape, 3D form and pattern) as well as through different materials and processes.

The Art & Design curriculum will develop children’s critical abilities, as well as an understanding of their own and others’ cultural heritages through the study of a diverse range of artists. We encourage children to explore ideas and meanings using their critical abilities. 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. We believe that the appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts enriches all our lives.

At Claremont Primary, 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. A high proportion of our children have English as an Additional Language (EAL) so we ensure that teachers and TA’s incorporate key vocabulary and clearly model skills using visual aids, ICT and cues to enhance the learning. We ensure our curriculum includes enrichment experiences such as visiting museums, galleries and working with artists within school. All children are given the opportunity to access the curriculum at their level and are provided with the resources required to enhance their understanding.

In summary, we aim to ensure all pupils.

  • have the opportunity to record from first-hand experience and from imagination.
  • have consistent opportunities to use sketchbooks to review, modify and develop their initial ideas,
  • develop creativity and imagination through a range of complex activities.
  • develop the ability to control materials, tools and techniques;
  • increase their critical awareness of the roles and purposes of art and design in different times and cultures.
  • develop increasing confidence in the use of visual and tactile elements and materials,
  • developing increasing confidence in the use of Art & Design language and subject specific vocabulary,
  • foster an enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts and a knowledge of artists, craftspeople and designers.

Implementation

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in Art & Design, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school, from Early Years to Y6. It is carefully planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on prior learning. Art and design is taught as part of a half-termly or termly topic, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum as well as the school’s age-related expectations documents. This provides progression in learning towards end of year and end of Key Stage expectations and ensures our children will be ready for the next stage of their learning.

The school’s high-quality art curriculum is supported through the availability of a wide range of quality resources, which are used to support children’s confidence in the use of different media. The school’s unique locality is also utilised, with planned opportunities for learning outside the classroom such as working with adults and resident artists from the local galleries and museums.

Impact                                                                                                                                      

Within art and design, we strive to create a supportive and collaborative ethos for learning for both pupils and staff. Our art and design curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. We focus on progression of knowledge and skills and discreet vocabulary progression in order to ensure children reach their age-related expectations and end of key stage expectations.

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

  • Images of the children’s practical learning alongside the work in sketchbooks.
  • Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).
  • Use of ‘Age Related Expectation’ documents and exemplar materials to support staff in assessing and moderating the standard of children’s practical outcomes.
  • The opportunity for a dialogue between the Art & Design subject leader and teachers to understand their class’s work as well as support for planning.
  • Annual reporting of standards across the curriculum.

The school environment celebrates children’s achievements in art and demonstrates the subject’s high status in the school, with outcomes, enhancing the outdoor, as well as indoor, environment. Classroom displays reflect the children’s sense of pride in their artwork and this is also demonstrated by creative outcomes across the wider curriculum.

Useful Documents

Curriculum Statement  Art & Design            
Art Subject Overview            

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