Intent
Intent - Knowledge
What do we want the children to know in Art by the time they leave?
“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 contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.” – National Curriculum 2014
At school we believe that high-quality Art lessons will inspire children to think innovatively and develop creative procedural understanding.
Intent - Skills
What do we want the children to be able to do in Art by the time they leave?
Our Art curriculum provides children with opportunities to develop their skills using a range of media and materials. Children learn the skills of drawing, painting, printing, collage, textiles, 3D work and digital art and are given the opportunity to explore and evaluate different creative ideas. Children will be introduced to a range of works and develop knowledge of the styles and vocabulary used by famous artists. The skills they acquire are applied to their cross-curricular topics, allowing children to use their art skills to reflect on and explore topics in greater depth; for example, by sketching historical artefacts in detail, researching geographical locations to support their work on landscape painting or using art as a medium to express emotion and thought to enhance their personal, social and emotional development. Many areas of art link with mathematical ideas of shape and space; for example, when printing repeating patterns and designs and thinking about 3D shapes to support structures. It is paramount that artwork be purposeful; be this as a means of expression or to explore the styles of other artists that inspire our own work. Pupils should be clear what the intended outcomes are and have a means to measure their own work against this.
In Art, children are expected to be reflective and evaluate their work, thinking about how they can make changes and keep improving. This should be meaningful and continuous throughout the process, with evidence of age-related verbal and written reflection. Children are encouraged to take risks and experiment and then reflect on why some ideas and techniques are successful or not for a particular project.
As a school and in accordance with the National Curriculum’s expectations, we aim 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.
• To be creative and confident, having enjoyed a wealth and variety of skills through exploration and reflection
Above all to be able to appreciate art having been subjected to a highly creative, broad and rich Art curriculum.
Intent - Values
What values have guided our decisions about the Art curriculum?
To understand Christian Values. To be confident & happy. To be an independent learner. To be resilient.
A clear progression through a structure of knowledge and skills
To know subject-specific vocabulary and knowledge that allow links across other subjects
To be able to construct arguments and balance evidence based on secure knowledge
Secure retrieval of facts
A growth mindset
As a school, we value and are dedicated to the teaching of Art and Design. We see this as a fundamental part of school life. We are committed to providing an ‘Arts Rich Curriculum’ for our children. We believe that by developing this we can contribute to the quality of our children’s lives both within and beyond school. We see art and design as a means to support learning in a range of ways. The skills that are developed in these subjects can be transferred across the curriculum and thus aid learning. Through the teaching of art and design, we focus on:
• Observing detail
• Sensitive, analytical and critical responses
• Increasing confidence
• Striving for high standards
• Raising self-esteem
• Imagination and creative expression
• Investigative techniques
• The opportunity to compare, contrast and appreciate different cultures
Intent - Context
How does the Art curriculum reflect our school’s context?
We have high expectations of our children in all aspects of the curriculum, including Art, which is designed to be engaging whilst challenging. Art teaching in this school should provide a firm basis for children to go on and develop their skills at secondary level.
Intent - Sequence & structure
How does the Art curriculum plan set out the sequence and structure of how we’ll teach the knowledge and skills?
As an integral part of school life, art and design subjects are embedded in the school’s ethos and planning mechanisms. These may be taught as discrete subjects or may form part of a wider topic approach. Art and design time is managed effectively and creatively allowing pupils sustained time for some work. This includes cross curricular projects which can be blocked or allocated time on a weekly basis.