Intent 

As an Arts mark Platinum school, we believe that art is a vital part of children’s education and have embedded the 'Arts' into the schools ethos and philosophy.

This intent has been recognised through the significant and valuable role of art in the taught curriculum and the enrichment opportunities we offer our pupils. The art 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.  Children will develop their understanding of the visual language of art with effective teaching and considered sequences of lessons and experiences. Understanding of the visual elements of art and design (line, tone, texture, colour, pattern, shape, 3D form) will be developed by providing a curriculum, which will enable children to reach their full potential. 

All children will be offered the opportunity to experience artist workshops/exhibitions and join our huge range of extra-curricular groups. They will also gain an understanding of the arts and cultural industries as career choices through talks from arts organisations and artists.

Implementation 

Our whole school curriculum planning incorporates current topics and provides crosscurricular links that are authentic, born out of child-led discussions and inspiration. The skills and knowledge that children will develop throughout each art topic are mapped across each year group and are progressive throughout the school. The emphasis on knowledge ensures that children understand the context of the artwork, as well as the artists that they are learning about and being inspired by. The art projects are linked to class topics, which enables links to other curriculum areas, with children developing a considerable knowledge of individual artists, as well as individual works and art movements. 

A similar systematic approach to the development of artistic skills means that children are given opportunities to express their creative imagination, as well as practise and develop mastery in the key processes of art: drawing, painting, printing and sculpture. 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. Art prefects are appointed and provided with art materials in Year 6 to encourage more art-based activities during playtime.  Staff are always searching for new opportunities to engage the pupils (artwork is entered in local and national art exhibitions). 

A3 sketchbooks starting in KS1 enable the children and parents to see personal progression and staff to develop it. The arts are discussed in annual reports for pupils and we use target tracker to assess how pupils are doing. 

Coordinated whole-school project work ensures that art is given high status in the curriculum. This includes the school’s participation in the annual ‘Big Draw’ which enables further focus on children’s artistic skills and knowledge in collaboration with outside artists. 

Impact 

The structure of the art curriculum ensures that children are able to develop their knowledge and understanding of the work of artists, craftspeople and designers from a range of times and cultures and apply this knowledge to their own work. The consistent use of children’s sketchbooks starting in early years means that children are able to review, modify and develop their initial ideas in order to achieve high quality outcomes. Children learn to understand and apply the key principles of art: line, tone, texture, shape, form, space, pattern, colour, contrast, composition, proportion and perspective. The opportunity for children to refine and develop their techniques over time is supported by effective lesson sequencing and progression between year groups. This also supports children in achieving age related expectations at the end of their cohort year.

Classroom displays reflect the children’s sense of pride in their artwork and this is demonstrated by creative outcomes across the wider curriculum. The school environment also celebrates children’s achievements in art and demonstrates the subject’s high status in the school, with star of the week awards; arts award opportunities and art prefects/monitors. This culminates in the Expressive Arts Evening where parents are invited to see all the sketchbooks and display boards celebrating art outcomes throughout the school