ART & DESIGN
‘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’
DFE, National Curriculum
INTENT
At Fairfield Primary School, we value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum.
We focus our teaching on the creative journey, rather than outcome, in order to build confident, independent artists who can articulate, take risks, think critically and value their own creative journeys. We build the Cultural Capital of our children by engaging with the local area, and using it as inspiration, making appropriate visits and using creatives to enhance the learning of our children.
Aims
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 4. Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.
IMPLEMENTATION
Fairfield Primary School provides full coverage of the National Curriculum, following the programmes of study for each year group carefully
Early Years Foundation Stage - our children explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities.
The children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, imagination, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts.
They will:
- 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;
- make use of props and materials when role playing characters in narratives and stories.
KS1 and KS2 - The teaching and implementation of the Art and Design Curriculum in KS1 and KS2 is based on the National Curriculum and skills taught are progressive and linked to cross-curricular themes and artists, designers and craft makers to ensure a well-structured approach.
Throughout the year children explore:
- Traditional skills balanced with experimental work
- Small and large scale work
- Quiet reflective study balanced with active, dynamic work
- Individual work and collaborative work
- Two dimensional and 3 dimensional works
- Study of historical “great” artists is balanced with contemporary artists.
At Fairfield, art and design is taught to every child in every year group, with drawing skills taught at least weekly.
Each child in KS1 and KS2 uses their sketchbook to make initial sketches, develop skills, record ideas and develop opinions. The sketchbook is a place where they can freely express, create, develop and learn and it is at the centre of their own creativity. The sketchbook is incorporated within our creative curriculum and used to develop all the strands of the Art curriculum whilst recording the cultural experiences that our children gain from opportunities such as gallery tours and working alongside artists.
- Every child is given the opportunity to learn the skills of drawing, painting, printing, textiles, sculpture and digital art through the exploration of key artists, craft makers or designers and their work.
- Skills are planned to be revisited, giving the children the opportunity to extend their knowledge and practice in the context of a variety of artworks from a range of eras.
- Cross-curricular links are promoted to allow all children to deepen their understanding across the curriculum, including the use of technology, and artworks from year group specific contexts.
- Opportunities for children to visit local art galleries and museums are planned for, as well as visits from local artists.
- Teachers follow a clear progression of skills which ensures all 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 written and visual annotations in sketchbooks, and chances for self and peer-assessment are planned into each unit of study in KS1 and KS2.
- Effective CPD and moderation opportunities are available to staff to ensure high levels of confidence and knowledge are maintained.
Our Foundation Subject Assessment Tracker allows us to use data to inform future practice
IMPACT
Teachers assess children’s art and design work by making informal judgements during lessons.
Verbal feedback is given to children during the lesson to help guide their progress in art and they are encouraged to make judgements about how they can improve their own work or the work of their peers. By working closely with individual children, teachers understand the types of materials, techniques and ideas that each child responds to, and how they might be helped to explore those areas further.
At the end of each unit of work, an assessment is made for each child to show if they have reached age related expectations (ARE) for their year group or are working towards them. This data is analysed to inform and address any trends or gaps in attainment and work is quality assured by the subject lead against the school progression plan.
Children in Foundation Stage are assessed within Expressive Arts and Design and their progress is tracked termly.
Age related expectation levels are reported to parents at the end of the year.
‘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.’
DFE, National Curriculum
Art Lead: Julie Brame
Art and Design Lead: Julie Brame
