Intent, Implementation, Impact

Intent

At Ethelbert Road Primary School, we value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. Art and Design provides the children with the opportunities to develop and extend skills and an opportunity to express their individual interests, thought and ideas. Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history and our future, contributing to the culture, diversity, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Aims

The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:

1. Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences

2. Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques

3. Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design

4. Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

Implementation

The teaching and implementation of the Art and Design Curriculum at Ethelbert Road Primary School is based on the National Curriculum and linked to topics, where possible, to ensure a well-structured approach to this creative subject. We use the knowledge and skill progression steps from Focus Education to ensure skills and knowledge are built upon each year. The children  are constantly exposed to a wide and diverse range of art forms and artists. This includes, creating plaster dinosaur fossils, printing wallpaper inspired by William Morris, shoebox dioramas based on  'A Midsummer Night's Dream', clay coil pots, Medusa papier mache heads and exploring emotion using the works of war artist Henry Moore, to name just a few. The work of famous local, national and international artists are explored to develop the children's learning. Further development for the children's knowledge and experiences comes in the form of visits to our local areas, galleries and natural settings for inspiration. The children's learning is further enhanced with large hall displays where the children have the opportunity for collaborative working and can take pride in contributing to whole school art.

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:

1. To use a range of materials creatively to design and make products

2. To use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination

3. To develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space

4. 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:

1. To create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas

2. 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]

3. About great artists, architects and designers in history.

Impact

In art we value the process as much as, or sometimes more than, the final outcome. We encourage our pupils to think and talk like an artist, encourage them to have a go, and to be proud and pleased with their efforts. Art is used as an opportunity to out into practice our school values and to promote positive well-being. A huge part of our impact is in the children’s growing confidence and enjoyment of this subject, starting from the Foundation Stage.

Throughout the lessons the children are given feedback in the moment and opportunities to improve their work. The emphasis is on self-reflection and as they go through the key stages, opportunities for peer assessment are also built into the lessons.

At Ethelbert Road, we always look for opportunities to showcase the pupils’ work and to exhibit their final pieces. Children keep Art Books from year 1-yr2 and then from year 3-year 6. These books have strong cross curricular links and demonstrate the range of opportunities our pupils have to practice and develop their skills in the build up to their final pieces. The art leaders also keep floor book to record outcomes.