We Are Artists
Aims of the Art and Design Curriculum
The national curriculum for art and design 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.
Our Art and Design curriculum allows children to create artwork through the use of formal elements. There is focus on the influence and exploration of great artists to inspire our pupils own artwork. Pupils are able to express their opinions of artwork with sophisticated use of language. By creating original artwork of their own, documenting their artwork in their sketchbooks and exploring other sources of inspiration for their own artwork, pupils can generate their own ideas of Art and Design. This ranges from, inspiration from other artists in year 2, to using literary sources to convey ideas through art in year 4. These key skills are built upon across the school to allow children to build on their prior learning and become more accomplished artists with a developed understanding of art.
- Making (drawing, colour, painting, materials, craft)
- Generating ideas (sketchbooks, inspiration, creating original artwork)
- Formal elements
- Knowledge of artists
- Evaluation
Art and Design is taught across each year group in blocked modules that enable pupils to study in depth the key skills, understanding and vocabulary. Each module aims to activate and build on prior learning, including EYFS, to ensure better cognition and retention.
Each module is carefully sequenced to allow for prior learning to be built upon and skills to be practiced and advanced. Vertical progression in each discipline has been deliberately woven into the fabric of the curriculum so that pupils can revisit key disciplines throughout their Primary journey at increasing degrees of challenge and complexity. Pupils are able to express their opinions of artwork with sophisticated use of language. By creating original artwork of their own, documenting their artwork in their sketchbooks and exploring other sources of inspiration for their own artwork, pupils can generate their own ideas of Art and Design. In addition to the core knowledge required to be successful within each discipline, the curriculum outlines key aspects of artistic development in the Working Artistically section. Each module focuses on developing different aspects of these competencies.
Specific and associated Art and Design vocabulary is planned sequentially and cumulatively from Y1 to Y6. High frequency, multiple meaning words (Tier 2) are taught alongside and help make sense of subject specific words (Tier 3). Each learning module in Art and Design has a vocabulary module with teacher guidance, tasks and resources.
Expressive Arts and Design in EYFS
At St Mary’s, we recognise the importance of Art as a way for children of all abilities to communicate and express what they see, feel through a range of creative experiences both indoors and outside. Those vital experiences promote curiosity and empower the children to become independent and resilient learners. We encourage children to express their ideas freely to create their own unique pieces of art.
The Early Years outcomes below outline the most relevant links to Art and Design curriculum:
Birth to three year olds:
-
To notice patterns with strong contrasts and be attracted by patterns resembling the human face.
-
To start to make marks intentionally.
-
To explore paint, using fingers and other parts of their bodies as well as brushes and other tools.
-
To express ideas and feelings through making marks, and sometimes give a meaning to the marks they make.
-
To explore different materials, using all their senses to investigate them. Manipulate and play with different materials.
-
To use their imagination as they consider what they can do with different materials.
-
Make simple models which express their ideas.
3-4 year olds:
-
To explore different materials freely, to develop their ideas about how to use them and what to make.
-
To develop their own ideas and then decide which materials to use to express them.
-
Join different materials and explore different textures.
-
Create closed shapes with continuous lines, and begin to use these shapes to represent objects.
-
Draw with increasing complexity and detail,such as representing a face with a circle and including details.
-
To explore colour and colour mixing.
-
Use drawing to represent ideas like movement or loud noises.
-
Show different emotions in their drawings and paintings, like happiness, sadness, fear etc.
ELG:
At the end of Reception all children should be able to:
-
Explore, use and refine a variety of artistic effects to express their ideas and feelings.
-
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.
Expressive Arts and Design in EYFS
At St Mary’s, we recognise the importance of Art as a way for children of all abilities to communicate and express what they see, feel through a range of creative experiences both indoors and outside. Those vital experiences promote curiosity and empower the children to become independent and resilient learners. We encourage children to express their ideas freely to create their own unique pieces of art.
The Early Years outcomes below outline the most relevant links to Art and Design curriculum:
Birth to three year olds:
-
To notice patterns with strong contrasts and be attracted by patterns resembling the human face.
-
To start to make marks intentionally.
-
To explore paint, using fingers and other parts of their bodies as well as brushes and other tools.
-
To express ideas and feelings through making marks, and sometimes give a meaning to the marks they make.
-
To explore different materials, using all their senses to investigate them. Manipulate and play with different materials.
-
To use their imagination as they consider what they can do with different materials.
-
Make simple models which express their ideas.
3-4 year olds:
-
To explore different materials freely, to develop their ideas about how to use them and what to make.
-
To develop their own ideas and then decide which materials to use to express them.
-
Join different materials and explore different textures.
-
Create closed shapes with continuous lines, and begin to use these shapes to represent objects.
-
Draw with increasing complexity and detail,such as representing a face with a circle and including details.
-
To explore colour and colour mixing.
-
Use drawing to represent ideas like movement or loud noises.
-
Show different emotions in their drawings and paintings, like happiness, sadness, fear etc.
ELG:
At the end of Reception all children should be able to:
-
Explore, use and refine a variety of artistic effects to express their ideas and feelings.
-
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.