Art & Design

Art and Design Curriculum Statement

“Art and Design stimulates creativity and imagination. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a unique way of understanding and responding to the world.”

Art and Design Intent

At Crow Orchard Primary School, we want our children to develop a love of Art, Craft and Design. We value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum and recognise the positive impact this subject has upon mental well-being. Adults encourage all children to develop limitless ambitions; aspiring to be future illustrators, graphic designers, sculptors, fashion designers, curators, architects or printmakers. Our Art curriculum is designed to engage, inspire and challenge pupils, whilst equipping them with the knowledge and skills to be able to experiment, invent and create their own works of art. As pupils progress, they will be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of Art and Design. They also understand how Art and Design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation. We want to equip our children with not only the minimum statutory requirements of the Art and Design National Curriculum but to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. Through the teaching of Art and Design, our children use the local area as inspiration, learn from other cultures and to respect diversity.

Our Art and Design curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils:

produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
evaluate and analyse 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.

Art and Design Implementation

At Crow Orchard Primary School, Art and Design is taught in every year group, once per week during one half of each term. Each child has their own Art and Design ‘journal’ which we encourage them to take ownership of, in order to foster their sense of creativity. Children use their journals as an ongoing record of observations, creative ideas, research of craftspeople, critical response to Art and Design, development of skills, record of ideas and development of opinions.

We use AccessArt as a resource to begin the teaching and learning journey. Our approach is designed around the idea that Art is far more than a series of technical skills; our holistic curriculum nurtures creative thinking skills and helps ensure our pupils learn through art, as well as about art.

Within projects, every child is given the opportunity to explore and progress within the genres of: drawing, painting, printing, textiles, 3D sculpture and digital art. Within each unit, an opportunity is presented for exploration of local, national and international artists, craftspeople or designers. Through in-depth discussion, the children explore how their art can share commonalities with famous art and use subject-specific vocabulary to discuss both key artworks and their own work. In the development of confident art critics, the children share their opinions and make informed observations about what will improve their own practical work. At Crow Orchard Primary School, we relish in opportunities to enhance the teaching and learning of Art and Design through educational visits, special subject specific days, visits from local artists and entering local, and national, Art and Design competitions. Teachers follow a clear progression of skills which ensures all pupils are challenged in line with their year group expectations and are given the opportunity to build on their prior knowledge.

Early Years Foundation Stage

Pupils explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child-initiated and adult-directed activities. They have opportunities to learn to:

Explore the textures, movement, feel and look of different media and materials
Respond to a range of media and materials, develop their understanding of them in order to manipulate and create different effects.
Use different media and materials to express their own ideas
Explore colour and use for a particular purpose
Develop skills to use simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately
Select appropriate media and techniques and adapt their work where necessary

Key stage 1

Pupils are taught:

to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products
to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination
to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space
about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.

Key stage 2

Pupils are taught to 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.

Pupils are taught:

to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas
to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials [for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay]
about great artists, architects and designers in history.

Art and Design Impact

We have eight key priorities at Crow Orchard Primary School which underpin every subject area:

We believe that by focusing on these key priorities, our children will be ready to successfully meet the challenges of the next stage of their education and build life-long foundations. By the end of their time with us, we endeavour for all children to have learned, improved and embedded a range of artistic skills and have an awareness of a broad range of artists and craftspeople. Our hope is that our children will have acquired the ability to consider and discuss the artworks they come across; with confidence in their opinion and critical thought- then use these as inspiration for their own creative work. They will be confident to explore, experiment and take risks; placing value on the process and journey that they take, not just on the finished product.

Most importantly, our children will have found a creative outlet for self-expression of their uniqueness!