

Art
Art Curriculum at St Eanswythe’s
Rationale and National Curriculum Coverage
Taken from the National Curriculum in England:
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‘Purpose of study:
‘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.’
Intent:
At St. Eanswythe’s we have a dedicated and passionate team of staff who value all areas of the curriculum and strive to deliver a wide range of lessons using a thorough, and holistic approach in the enabling of learning. We meet and go beyond all National Curriculum requirements for art. We use the Access Art Curriculum to support our teaching of art. The Access Art Curriculum has been designed to inspire and enable high quality visual arts teaching and learning. Designed around the idea that art is far more than a series of technical skills, our holistic curriculum nurtures creative thinking skills and helps ensure your pupils learn through art, as well as about art. The AccessArt Curriculum asks: “What is the purpose of art?”. We answer through creating opportunities for pupils to explore many different aspects of making, helping pupils and teachers understand the ways art connects us with our past, helps us embrace the present, and empowers us to shape our future. By exploring why art is relevant to all our lives, we aim to make certain that pupils feel entitled to develop their creativity, and understand their place in the world as creative, confident beings. The curriculum is knowledge-rich, and pupils will learn a wide range of skills, developing understanding and showing clear progression. But crucially, the knowledge and understanding pupils will build will go far beyond the technical, factual knowledge many current curriculums focus upon. Our curriculum balances declarative knowledge with experiential knowledge, building self-knowledge and nurturing traits in learners which will hold them in good stead whichever direction their learning takes them.
Implementation:
The Access Art curriculum is designed to enable children to learn by making connections between the work of artists, architects and designers (which they study critically) and their own work, which they evaluate and relate back to the works they have studied. This process is cyclical. Meaningful opportunities for self-expression and individual response are woven through the curriculum, giving children space to learn who they are as an artist. The curriculum provides meaningful opportunities for self-expression to give children the space to learn who they are as an artist by exploring different mediums. We aim to ignite children’s love for art by giving them the ability to express themselves through drawing, painting, sculpture, printing, collage, photography and textiles. The curriculum also provides extensive opportunity for children to develop their skills in visual literacy by looking at, thinking and talking about art. The curriculum fulfils the requirements of the National Curriculum for England. The AccessArt curriculum is also supported by a series of “Talking Points” resources, carefully curated to introduce teachers and pupils to a wide variety of artists, designers and craftspeople from across the world.
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Our Teaching Sequence:
Each pathway follows a particular format which promotes excellent teaching & learning:
Warm-up: Artists: Activity: Crit / Reflection
Artists: Materials: Activity: Crit / Reflection
Challenge or Brief: Artist: Activity: Crit / Reflection
We study artists, designers and craftspeople not so we can make copies or pastiches of their style, but so we can learn from the way they see the world.
Inter-woven throughout our sessions, we actively encourage children to reflect and discuss on the knowledge and skills from previous learning – what have they remembered and understood.
Our Children Will:
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Engaged because they are challenged by the curriculum which they are provided with.
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Resilient learners who overcome barriers and understand their own strengths and areas for development.
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Able to critique their own work as an artist because they know how to be successful.
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Safe and happy in Art lessons which give them opportunities to explore their own creative development.
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Encouraged and nurtured to overcome any barriers to their learning or self-confidence because feedback is positive and focuses on artistic skills and knowledge.
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Able to talk about a variety of famous artists over time.
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Develop artistic skills and confidence over time because of careful planning, focused delivery and time to practise and hone skills.
Impact:
Assessment of art is on-going throughout a pupil’s school journey. The teaching of art is assessed by the class teacher during lessons with verbal feedback, guidance and modelling given when appropriate. Evidence of the learning is dependent on the lesson outcome, year group and the skills and knowledge being developed. Throughout the course of the lesson the class teacher will move around the class, offering support where needed so that each child receives direct feedback and the appropriate level of challenge. There are no national standards in Primary Art and Design, so we advocate gentle, ongoing assessment based upon lots of conversation, to discover intention and understanding, as well as looking at outcomes of the journey and end result.
Remember creativity can be fragile – so tread with care.
Our curriculum allows pupils to feel like they have been able to make connections between the work of artists, architects and designers and their own work. Their opinions will be heard and valued. The children will be able to express their own ideas as an artist and will have explored different mediums and had experience using a wide range of resources to support them. The impact of art lessons should leave pupils with a deeper spiritual and cultural understanding of the world.
Pupil Voice Will Show:
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A developed understanding of the names, key works, styles and techniques of major artists at an age appropriate level
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A secure understanding of the key techniques and methods for each key area of the art curriculum: colour, form, line, tone, texture and shape
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A progression of understanding, with appropriate vocabulary which supports and extends understanding.
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Confidence in discussing artists, art, their own work and identifying their own strengths and areas for development.
The Curriculum Leader Will:
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Celebrate the successes of pupils through planned displays.
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Collate appropriate evidence over time which evidences that pupils know more and remember more.
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Monitor the standards in the subject to ensure the outcomes are at expected levels.
