Art & Design
Art & Design Intent
We aim to give our children the opportunity to enjoy and understand the visual arts by increasing their awareness of great artists, architects and designers in history. By following the arts process, all children will develop the skills and techniques necessary to independently create visual works. Children will be capable of expressing their personal, environmental, social or political messages through the visual arts.
Curriculum Narrative
The art and design projects are well sequenced to provide a coherent subject scheme that develops children’s skills and knowledge of visual elements, art forms, artists and art movements.
Projects are placed alongside other subject projects where there are opportunities for making meaningful connections. For example, Beautiful Botanicals has been placed in the same teaching sequence as the science project Plants Nutrition and Reproduction.
Where possible, projects with similar materials are spaced out to have as little strain on resources as possible. For example, in Key Stage 1, clay work is taught in different terms.
Seasons are also a consideration for the placement of art and design projects. For example, if children are required to work outdoors, these projects have been placed in either the latter part of the spring or summer term.
Early Years Foundation Stage
In Expressive Arts and Design: Creating with Materials aspect, the children will develop their drawing skills by exploring line. As part of this, they will represent the human face from observation and memory. They will explore primary colours and colour mixing which will then be developed in painting by mixing tints and shades and by using a range of tools. This will lead to the exploration of mixing secondary colours. Painting techniques, such as creating patterns, and exploring works of art will inspire their own work and the children will be introduced to a variety of media. They will investigate environmental art, for example, using ice and natural resources to create artwork.
The children will have experiences in manipulating dough, progressing onto clay to create shapes and learning a range of techniques. They will explore how to cut, tear, fold and stick paper and fabric to create collages. Threading skills will also be developed and they will be given opportunities to create large scale weavings using fabrics and recycled materials.
Key Stage 1
In Key Stage 1, each autumn term begins with the colour project Mix It. The teaching of this project in Years 1 and 2 enables children to be introduced to and then revisit colour theory and provides plentiful opportunities for children to explore primary and secondary colours.
Year 1 begins by exploring themes directly related to the children themselves, such as their facial features, the surrounding natural world and their local community. In Year 2, the projects expand children’s artistic horizons to study a more comprehensive range of artists, artistic movements and creative techniques.
Lower Key Stage 2
In Lower Key Stage 2, each autumn term begins with the colour project Contrast and Complement. In Years 3 and 4, the teaching of this project enables children to build on their previous understanding of colour and further develop their expertise by studying theory.
In Year 3, children expand their experiences to study a broader range of art forms, artists and genres. They also begin to study art from specific and diverse periods of history, including prehistoric pottery and Roman mosaics. Other genres studied in Year 3 build on previous techniques learned in Key Stage 1 and include more complex techniques in printmaking, drawing, painting and textiles.
In Year 4, children develop more specialised techniques in drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture. They explore ways in which ancient cultures have influenced art and crafts by studying, for example, mediaeval weaving techniques and the religious significance of Islamic art.
Upper Key Stage 2
In Upper Key Stage 2, each autumn term begins with the colour project Tints, Tones and Shades. Teaching these projects in Years 5 and 6 enables children to build on their previous understanding of colour theory and develop further expertise with colour by studying tonal variations and more complex colour charts.
In Year 5, children develop and combine more complex artistic techniques in a range of genres, including drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture. Children continue to build on their understanding of other historical periods and cultures by studying the ancient Chinese art form of taotie and the significance of the Expressionist movement.
In Year 6, children are encouraged to work more independently in projects like Environmental Artists and Distortion and Abstraction. Such projects require them to consider more conceptual representations of personal, environmental, social or political messaging. Children explore diversity in art by studying the projects Inuit and Trailblazers, Barrier Breakers.
Throughout the art and design scheme, there is complete coverage of all national curriculum programmes of study.