Art & Design

Teaching Art and Design Curriculum at Turnditch – Cornerstones Curriculum Maestro

At Turnditch CE Primary School, we value the creative arts subjects covered within our Art and DT units of work. We strongly feel that children’s creativity should be fostered and that these subjects are an important part of a broad and balanced curriculum. Art and Design provides a wealth of opportunities to express, not only individual creativity, but also those of artists from around the world, in which children across the school are able to study and appreciate.

We believe that high quality art and design education inspires and engages our pupils to experiment, invent and develop their skills and knowledge creatively. We encourage critical thinking within our art and design schemes of work and are in the process of making curriculum links in other subjects, such as the humanities, to ensure our pupils understand how art and design reflects our history and contributes to worldwide cultures and attitudes.

Our Art and Design 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 should gain a deeper understanding of how Art and Design reflects and shapes our history, and how it contributes to the culture, creativity and wealth of our world. During their time with us, 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 and experiences of later life. We want our children to use the local area as inspiration, to learn from other cultures and to respect diversity.

Our Art & Design curriculum aims to ensure all pupils:

develop powers of observation
use imagination and original thought
learn about the world in which we live
produce creative work, exploring ideas and recording experiences, acquiring a range of different skills using different media as they progress through the school
become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms, knowing that there are different kinds of art made for different purposes  develop the ability to communicate ideas, opinions and feelings about their own work and that of others, using the language of art, craft and design

Implementation

The teaching and implementation of the Art and Design Curriculum at Turnditch Primary School is based on the National Curriculum alongside Cornerstones Curriculum Maestro units of work to ensure a well-structured and coherent approach to art and design. At Turnditch, Art and Design are taught throughout the year with an even distribution of Art and Design Technology. All classes study three to six units of both Art and DT within each year group.

All pupils access the Art and Design curriculum at Turnditch CE Primary School. In the EYFS, through Expressive Arts, children are encouraged to explore different media, explore how media can be combined to create different effects and develop a range of skills and techniques experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. Children are given daily access to a range of creative opportunities and enjoy our carefully planned and well-resourced creative areas both indoors and out. Children are encouraged to create on both small and large scales and our outdoor environment supports this well. Children are encouraged to develop their communication and language skills through talking about their creations and sharing these with others to build confidence and raise self-esteem.

Specific Art and Design lessons take place every two weeks and are planned and led by higher-level support staff with expertise in art. Curriculum Maestro knowledge rich projects are used to support planning, ensuring a spiral curriculum focused on key elements of colour, line, shape, texture, light and dark and design, as well as incorporating a range of media and disciplines and developing knowledge of key artists in history. Coverage is carefully considered to ensure that learning within and between each mixed-age class is broad and allows for progression of knowledge and skills. Progression statements are used alongside unit plans to ensure age-related skills progression from initial starting points within any one project.

Throughout their learning in Art and Design, every child is given the opportunity to learn the skills of drawing, painting, printing, sculpture and digital art through the exploration of key artists, craft makers, designers and their work. Children use a sketchbook to make initial sketches, develop skills, record ideas and develop opinions. We give the child ownership of their sketchbook in order to foster their sense of creativity. Through in-depth discussion, the pupils explore how their art can share commonalities with famous art and use subject-specific vocabulary to discuss key artworks and their own work. In the development of confident art critics, the pupils share their opinions and make informed observations about what will improve their own practical work. Opportunities to reflect and develop, including through the use of sketchbooks, and chances for self and peer-assessment are planned into each unit of study in KS1 and KS2.

In the Early Years our pupils will:

Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function  Share their creations, explaining the process they have used.
Make use of props and materials when role playing characters in narratives and stories.
Hold a pencil effectively in preparation for fluent writing – using the tripod grip in almost all cases.
Use a range of small tools, including scissors, paint brushes and cutlery.
Begin to show accuracy and care when drawing.

This will be achieved through:

Exploring the learning environment, both inside and out
Targeted activities to develop fine motor skills
Mark making opportunities
High quality resources being readily available
Listening to stories and reading high quality picture books
Role playing
Skills based learning

Key Stage 1

Pupils should be 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 should be 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 should be 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.

Enrichment, Visits and Visitors

Cross-curricular links are promoted to allow all children to deepen their understanding across the curriculum, including the use of technology, and artworks from class specific historical, geographical and scientific contexts. Where possible, opportunities for children to visit local art galleries and museums are planned for, as well as visits from local artists. After school clubs focused on art and design are always popular.

Art Curriculum Handbook

Long Term Plan