Art & Design
Subject Intent (The ‘Why’)
“The true purpose of arts education is not necessarily to create more professional artists. It is to create more complete human beings who are critical thinkers, who have curious minds, who can lead productive lives.” - Kelly Pollock, Executive Director, COCA
Why Teach It?
To ensure that our pupils understand how art and artistic movements have influenced and continue to influence life today.
Through our high-quality art education, we aim to help pupils to gain an overall appreciation of art and how it can embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. Our teaching will inspire pupils’ curiosity by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As well as supporting children to:
- Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.
- Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.
- 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 teaching of art will also equip pupils 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 contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
National Curriculum Aims
The national curriculum for art aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.
- Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.
- 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.
Additional Hazeldown Aims
In addition to the aforementioned National Curriculum aims, we aim ensure that our pupils have access to a range of educational trips, visits and meaningful experiences / opportunities. We also strive to:
- Raise the confidence andself-esteem of pupils through opportunities to be involved in every art form.
- Improve skills, knowledge and understanding in arts activities.
- Foster an imaginative, creative and progressive approach to learning through experiencing the arts.
- Develop deeper experience and understanding of different cultures within the school, the community and the wider world through involvement with the arts.
- Encourage an enthusiasm and appreciation of the arts which will stay with pupils throughout their lives.
- Promote creative self-expression.
- Support children in creating different artworks, making critical judgements and exploring values, attitudes, feelings and meanings.
Planned Content – Early Years Foundation Stage (Expressive Arts and Design)
Children are supported to safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. They share their creations, explaining the process they have used and make use of props and materials when role playing characters in narratives and stories.
Planned Content – Key Stage One
Pupils should learn to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products, learning to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination. They will develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space. Pupils will learn 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.
Planned Content – Key Stage Two
Pupils should learn to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas. They will be encouraged 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]. They will also continue to develop their knowledge of great artists, architects and designers in history.
The Cornerstones curriculum encompasses the key skills needed for progression in art and ensures that there is continuity in both skills and content across the school. The art curriculum is taught progressively, and children will develop their skills as they progress through the school. This enables children to build on their knowledge and learn the value of each art and design technique. Children are provided with many opportunities to engage in art and design activities, and these are embedded across subject areas. Art education is valued by all staff and the children are encouraged to share this view.
For further information on the Art curriculum, please contact our subject leader, Amy Copland, on acopland@hazeldown.devon.sch.uk.
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