Intent

At Green Park Primary School, we recognise that art and design stimulates creativity and imagination. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a special way of understanding and responding to the world. It enables children of all abilities to communicate what they see, feel and think through the use of colour, texture, form, pattern and different materials and processes. We encourage children to explore ideas and meanings through the work of a range of artists and designers. We want our children to use the local area as inspiration, to learn from other cultures and to respect diversity. Our art and design curriculum is designed to engage, inspire and challenge pupils, whilst equipping them with the knowledge and skills to be able to experiment, invent and create their own works of art. The appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts enriches all our lives.

The aims of teaching art and design in our school are:

• To 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.
• To think critically and develop an understanding of art and design.
• To know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
• To produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.
• To become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.
• To evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design.
• To know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

Implementation

• Art is taught in every year group and is taught as part of a half-termly topic, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum.
• Every child has a knowledge organiser at the front of their sketchbooks. These knowledge organisers allow children to refer back to key vocabulary when needed. They also give children an insight towards what each module will be about.
• Each child has a sketchbook. We give the child ownership of their sketchbook in order to foster their sense of creativity. Children use their sketchbooks to make initial sketches, develop skills, record ideas and develop opinions.
• Every unit allows the opportunity to learn new skills and explore a key artist, craft maker or designer and their work.
• Through in-depth discussion, the pupils explore how their art can share commonalities with famous art and use subject-specific vocabulary to discuss key artworks and their own work.
• In the development of confident art critics, the pupils share their opinions and make informed observations about what will improve their own practical work.
• Pupils are challenged in line with their year group expectations and are given the opportunity to build on their prior knowledge.
• Opportunities to reflect and develop, including through the use of sketchbooks, and chances for self and peer-assessment are planned into each unit of study in KS1 and KS2.

Impact

By the end of their time with us, we want pupils to have learned, improved and embedded a range of artistic skills. They should have an awareness of a broad range of artists and craftspeople, and be able to consider and discuss the artworks they come across. We want our pupils to be confident to explore, experiment and take risks, placing value on the process and journey that they take, not just on the finished product. Most importantly, we want children to have found and enjoyed a creative outlet – a means of self-expression and enjoyment.

Our art and design curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. We focus on development of knowledge, skills and vocabulary. It guides pupils to be enthusiastic art and design learners, evidenced in a range of ways, including their final pieces, sketchbooks and pupil voice.