Art & Design at St. Anne's Catholic Primary School
Art & Design Lead: Mrs Ryan

Intent

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.

The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:

1.  Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
2.  Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
3.  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.

Children are expected to be reflective and evaluate their work, thinking about how they can make changes and keep improving. This should be meaningful and continuous throughout the process, with evidence of age-related verbal and written refection. Children are encouraged to take risks and experiment and then reflect on why some ideas and techniques are successful or not for a particular project.

Implementation

Art and Design lessons are taught weekly for three half terms each year, alternating with Design Technology. Lessons are planned by teachers using the Art and Design Knowledge and Skills Progression. Key skills and knowledge are broken down into specific year groups to ensure coverage and progression across the school and enabling children to build on prior learning. We enrich the curriculum through year group trips with an art focus, to expose our children to high quality art and design. Classical religious art is used to deliver the RE curriculum and to help the children become familiar with the symbolic nature of art.

All children have their own personalised art journal which is at the centre of their creativity. Our children use their art journal to record their art journeys and contain experimentation, research, photographs, cuttings and reflections, showing ideas and development. Pupils are guided by teachers but have the freedom to be creative through choices of medium and materials and have opportunity to discuss and critique each other’s work to develop it further. Through our art curriculum, students are taught not only how to use formal elements within their art work such as line, tone, colour, space, texture etc., but also to analyse how formal elements are used as powerful communication tools to create effect.

Children are encouraged to take part in art competitions which run across the MAT and externally. Summer art projects are offered to all our children and their families which link art with other curriculum areas. Art work is displayed around the school to boost self esteem and pride in our children’s learning.

Impact

We want our children to have learned, developed and embedded a range of artistic skills, and to have enjoyed a creative outlet for enjoyment and self-expression. They should have a growing awareness and knowledge of a broad range of artists and craftspeople, and be able to discuss and reflect on the art work they have encountered. Our children should be confident to explore, experiment and take risks, placing value on the process and journey they have been on, not just on the finished piece.

Assessment in art and design takes account of all aspects of our children’s learning and achievements. Ongoing assessments take place throughout the year. Teachers use this information to inform future lessons; ensuring children are supported and challenged appropriately. Assessment includes not only what children make, but also the skills they acquire and their knowledge about the materials and tools they use. The impact of our curriculum is also measured through pupil discussions about their learning, including discussion of their thoughts, ideas, processing and evaluations of work.

In Art, children are expected to be reflective and evaluate their work, thinking about how they can make changes and keep improving. This should be meaningful and continuous throughout the process, with evidence of age-related verbal and written refection. Children are encouraged to take risks and experiment and then reflect on why some ideas and techniques are successful or not for a particular project.