Art and Design Curriculum Leader – Mrs A. Deacon
Intent
At St. Ignatius’ Primary School we believe 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 to communicate what they see, feel and think through the use of colour, texture, form, pattern and different materials and processes. Children become involved in shaping their environments through art and design activities. They learn to make informed judgements and aesthetic and practical decisions. They explore ideas and meanings through the work of artists and designers. Through learning about the roles and functions of art, they can explore the impact it has had on contemporary life and that of different times and cultures. The appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts enriches all our lives.
We offer our children a well planned, sequenced and ambitious curriculum. Children will be taught to explore, evaluate and develop their ideas and work.
The Art & Design curriculum is broad and balanced. It can be easily adapted to meet the needs of all our children regardless of their special educational needs or disabilities. The children will study art in seven different areas; drawing, painting, printing, digital art, collage, 3D sculpture and textiles.
The ‘progression of knowledge and skills document’ shows this in more detail.
Implement
At St Ignatius’ Primary School we use a variety of Teaching and Learning Styles in Art and Design lessons. Our principal aim is to develop the children’s knowledge, skill and understanding in Art and Design. We ensure that the act of investigating and making something includes exploring and developing ideas, and evaluating and developing work. We do this best through a mixture of whole class teaching and individual/group activities. Teachers draw attention to different examples of individual ideas and work, as models for other children. They encourage children to evaluate their own ideas and methods, the work of others and say what they think and feel about them. This is conducted in a manner that no child feels their work to be inferior or incorrect… all work is celebrated and praised.
We give children the opportunity within lessons to work on their own and collaborate with others, on projects in two and three dimensions and on different scales. Children also have the opportunity to use a wide range of materials and resources and are given the opportunity to use computing to enhance learning in Art and Design.
Children are taught Art and Design by the class teacher as a whole class and usually supported by a classroom assistant. Sometimes children are given the opportunity to work with visiting artists and craftspeople. Most Art and Design teaching takes place in the classroom but we are happy for work to take place in the hall, outdoors on the school grounds or out and about in our local community.
Each class has three units to cover throughout the year. These units are alternated with the three Design Technology units, resulting in one unit being taught each half term. Each unit starts with sharing a knowledge organiser with the children, which details the knowledge and skills taught in that unit. This can then be referred to throughout the teaching of the unit.
Impact
- ·To enable children to record from first hand experience and from imagination, and to select their own ideas to use in their work.
- ·To develop creativity and imagination through a range of complex activities.
- ·To improve the children’s ability to control materials, tools and techniques.
- ·To increase their critical awareness of the roles and purposes of art and design in different times and cultures.
- ·To develop increasing confidence in the use of visual and tactile elements and materials.
- ·To foster an enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts and a knowledge of artists, craftspeople and designers.
Class teachers will assess children's learning in relation to the knowledge and skills at the end of each unit. These evaluations will be sent to the coordinator. The coordinator will use these documents, plus evidence gathered during monitoring time, to evaluate teaching and learning and update to our curriculum when needed. The coordinator will liaise with SLT and Governors to discuss any issues or changes.
