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Art & Design

Intent  

At Scargill, we believe that every child should have access to a rich and varied art and design curriculum. This begins with our Reception children, who explore a variety of materials and experiment with techniques through ‘Expressive Arts and Design. Further on in Scargill children embed and deepen these skills with our progressive, spiral curriculum.  It is our aim to nurture creativity and imagination so that our children are confident and inquisitive learners. We believe that art and design is a springboard into learning about culture, developing knowledge of society (both past and present) and encouraging children to connect with their world. 

It is well documented that visual arts support mental well-being, confidence building and the development of a positive self-esteem. This is why, post-Covid-19 when mental health is at the fore, our art and design curriculum is as integral as ever to our learning at Scargill. We believe it is important that the arts are not sidelined to make way for core subject catch up. 

We are passionate about developing the whole child and are certain that through studying art, our children will develop a host of transferrable skills such as critical thinking, expression of ideas and intercultural understanding. 

We strive to give our pupils equal opportunity to create art regardless of experience, background, ability or disability. It is an area in which every child can and will thrive given the right guidance. 

Implementation 

Our Reception classes have a comprehensive scheme covering key areas such as painting, drawing, printing, collage, sculpture and textiles. They are encouraged to explore and create constantly through the continuous provision of art sessions. 

Primarily, we have decided to develop the sketchbook journey and include KS1 within this even though it is not a pre-requisite of the KS1 National Curriculum. We believe that the sketchbook is an essential tool for the artist, enabling experimentation, reflection and vital practise of skills. The sketchbook should document a personal journey for the child and we would encourage them develop sketchbook skills and understand how it could be used to aid progression.  

Our art and design content is delivered discreetly to ensure coverage of a progressive and effective spiral curriculum. We access plans through the Kapow Primary Scheme. Sessions are taught in 4 blocks across the year and each block contains between 4-6 lessons. These can be slotted into the curriculum at any point across the year where the year group team deem appropriate. They do not need to be taught in any particular order. The decision not to teach art every half-term was taken so that other subjects had equal opportunity within the timetable, however it is expected that there will be times when links to art can be made in other subjects. 

The Kapow Scheme is designed with five strands which are: 

  • Generating ideas 

  • Making skills Inc Formal Elements (line, shape, tone, texture, pattern and colour) 

  • Sketchbooks 

  • Knowledge of Artists 

  • Evaluating and analysing 

Throughout the scheme of work, these strands are revisited in every unit. In each year, there are four units of work focusing on drawing; painting and mixed media; sculpture and 3D and craft and design. Key skills are revisited frequently with increasing complexity in each phase. The children are given repeated exposure to mediums and are given the chance to practise skills in a safe and encouraging environment.  

Art progression in NOT a linear process therefore each phase’s units can be taught in any order as long as the blocks of work are covered across a 2-year period; for example, KS1 (Y1 and 2) LKS2 (Y3 and 4) and UKS2 (Y5 and 6). This allows pupils to revise and build upon previous learning. Thus, the planning will be used in a cyclical way teaching one year group’s units at a time then rolling to the other. 

Kapow’s scheme develops knowledge and understanding of key artists and art movements with links made through practical work. The units are fully scaffolded and differentiation is given for pupils needing extra support as well as those who are working at greater depth. 

Creativity and independent outcomes are embedded into all units so that outcomes are unique to the pupil. Lessons are always practical in nature and encourage experimental learning where sketchbooks are a key component of the learning journey.  

Knowledge organisers for each unit encourage the recall of key facts and vocabulary. 

Teacher videos from the scheme support staff, who may be lacking in skills or confidence and pupil videos allow pupils to see techniques modelled by experts. Staff have also been equipped with A2 sketchbooks and are encouraged to work alongside the children, ‘teaching’ rather than ‘doing’ art.  

Work is recorded in a variety of ways including the use of sketchbooks, practical tasks and digital pieces. Collaborative work is recorded through photos and pictures up. Final pieces are kept in a class to the school server. Evaluation is recorded in sketchbooks or could take the form of a verbal evaluation with the teacher and peers 

All art and design resources are ordered so that the scheme can be delivered effectively and ‘key staples’ are refreshed each year. 

Enrichment activities are built in to raise the profile of art and design through competitions, whole-school collaborations and yearly art days. We also run an extra-curricular art club during the summer term and endeavour to make connections with local feeder secondary schools. We want to ensure that Art and Design is embedded in our whole school curriculum and that opportunities for enhancing learning by using art are always taken for example through English work, R.E. and history. 

Lesson plans can be downloaded from the Kapow Primary scheme and annotations may be made by teachers particularly when noting down any observations for assessment during the lesson.  

Children should have the opportunity to review work, peer assess and use ‘mini-galleries’ for feedback and evaluation within sessions.  

Impact 

Our children enjoy and value Art and Design and know why they are doing things, not just how. Children will understand and appreciate the value of Art and Design in the context of their personal wellbeing and the creative and cultural industries as well as their many career opportunities. 

Progress in Art and Design is demonstrated through regularly reviewing and scrutinising children’s work, in accordance with our Art and Design assessment procedures, this will ensure that progression of skills is taking place. The Art and Design curriculum will contribute to children’s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection. This will be seen in them being able to talk confidently about their work, and sharing their work with others.  

Progress will be shown through outcomes and through the important records (sketchbooks, photographs and final pieces) of the process leading to them.