Art and Design

Express your imagination and creativity without limits

                                 

We are Artists 

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” Edgar Degas

Why should we learn about Art and Design?

• To develop skills and creativity using a range of materials and techniques
• To create works of Art which children, parents and carers can all be proud of. The children’s work is something to be kept and treasured – a memento of your child’s time here at St Matthew's
• To collaborate with professional artists and with each other
• To develop communication skills, raise confidence and promote enjoyment and engagement for all learners
• To develop imagination and personal expression
• To develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• To take risks and experiment
• To develop our knowledge of great artists both past and present
• To explore and celebrate other cultures
• To learn how Art and Design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture and creativity of our nation
• Because it’s often messy and always fun!

How will it help children in later life?

In so many areas of life, we need to find creative solutions to problems. Art and Design develops critical and creative thinking skills, it helps us to develop problem-solving skills and promote risk-taking in order to find a solution.

In our ever-changing world, Art and Design is providing more and more career paths in the creative, cultural, digital media and heritage industries. The development of skills, imagination, confidence and creativity at Primary school level gives children a solid foundation on which to build a career in any area they choose.

Art and Design also gives children increased access to learning about other cultures as well as their own. Children not only improve their skills, but also their knowledge of great artists and designers past and present both from the local area and from around the world.

What do we want for St Matthew's children?

Art is more than just learning how to draw and paint. It has long been used as a political and cultural tool, a way of disseminating and sharing ideas, beliefs and experiences. It provides a window into the culture, society and history of generations gone by, and those to come.

At St Matthew's we recognise the immense value of art and the role it has in enhancing our pupils’ lives and their understanding of the world. We aim to teach a balanced and rich curriculum that will inspire pupils to express themselves creatively, and develop a natural sense of curiosity about the world around them. Art and Design is taught each term, and although our units of learning are usually 'stand-alone' topics in their own right, most connect with other curriculum topics. 

Through our Art and Design curriculum children can harness and channel their innate creativity. We want our pupils to experience art in a way that resonates with them. We wish them to understand how art connects us to our past, present and future. We want them to explore the following:

• What is art?
• How is art made?
• What is art for?
• Who is art for?

We wish to foster artists who are confident to explore ideas and are visually literate, independent and critical thinkers, able to evaluate and analyse creative works whilst employing the language of art. It is our aim that by year six, children will have discovered an aspect - among the wide range of disciplines that art has to offer - that resounds with them. We also wish to install the belief that art can be pursued as a career choice and that artists are as valuable to societies as mathematicians or scientists. We have a dedicated, well-resourced Art Hall where children are exposed to a wide variety of practices. We are immensely proud of our children’s artwork and they are displayed prominently throughout the school.

Intent

At St Matthew’s, we place great importance on a curriculum which develops the whole child, inspiring us as God’s children to achieve our potential and shine brightly in our own unique way. 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.

Implementation

Our Art and Design topics aim to ensure pupils produce creative work, exploring their ideas. It allows them to become proficient in drawing, painting and other art and craft techniques. It will give children the ability to make connections, revisit and use previous techniques, expanding on their ever growing knowledge, with visible progression throughout school from Nursery to Year 6. It ensure children are exposed to challenging and innovative vocabulary at the beginning of each lesson to enrich their learning. All children will evaluate and analyse their creative works and learn about artists past and present.

What does this look like?

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children follow the Development Matters framework and experience a daily art activity as part of their Continuous Provision. Art is also taught discretely through play and child-led activities. Learning opportunities for Art are planned for both inside and outside the classroom, and these link where possible to the weekly learning intentions as well as the children’s interests. These could include drawing, making a character from an English text or working on a large-scale collaborative project.

Children are actively encouraged to independently explore artistic pursuits, including mark-making, painting, junk modelling and other aspects of creative play through one of the 7 areas of learning; ‘Expressive arts and design’. In this area children develop their imagination, creativity and their ability to use media and materials. Children do this in a range of ways including singing songs, making music, dancing, playing with colours, textures and designs. This emerging knowledge and understanding can be used to explore crucial early artistic skills. By the time children are in Reception, they will be increasingly able to use what they have learnt to independently explore their own artistic ideas.   

The Early Learning goals in the EYFS aim to guide children in their exploration and experimentation of materials, tools, colours and textures. Through this, they can begin to attribute meaning to the marks and shapes they make. Children’s learning in the EYFS forms the foundation for their future learning experiences in Key Stage 1 and beyond.  

Key Stage One (Years One and Two)

In Years 1 and 2, children will become more proficient in drawing, painting and sculpting. Children will be taught to use a range of different materials to design and make a product using a criteria. They will learn how to use different techniques when completing their individual art pieces, for example the use of pattern, colour, texture and shape and alongside working with a wide range of artists work, to enhance ideas and create further imagination.

Across Key Stage 1, pupils will learn core skills in the key areas of drawing, painting and sculpting, for example; shading, adding dimension, testing with water colours, experimenting with warm and cool colours and manipulating clay for a planned affect. 

Throughout the Art and Design curriculum, children will produce creative work, exploring their own ideas, skills and recording their experiences by evaluating and analysing their own work and the work of their peers. 

Key Stage Two (Years Three to 6)

In Key Stage 2, pupils learn how Art and Design both reflect and shape our history, contributing to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation. In each unit of the Art and Design curriculum it meets the criteria of the National Curriculum, extending childrens art historical knowledge and developing their artistic skills. As children move throughout the year groups, they will build upon taught skills, working with increasing accuracy, independence and creativity. 

The curriculum has been developed to focus and build on six core disciplines; drawing, painting, printing, collage, sculpture/3D and textiles (forming a crossover with the D&T units), with a careful and consistent progression of skills and knowledge that allows the pupil to make the necessary connections to piece their learning together throughout their learning journey.

In Key Stage 2 children will experience collage and sculpture/3D work, each unit building on expectations, skills and understanding. As pupils’ experiment with a range of media, textiles and methods, they will begin to make informed choices when planning and evaluating their own creations, basing their choices on purpose, audience and the intention of the message they are conveying and representing.

Progression of Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

Effective teaching, carefully planned and resourced lessons allow children to develop proficiency and confidence in drawing, painting, printing and sculpture. Progression of these core skills is made year on year, with greater emphasis being placed on accuracy and quality by upper Key Stage 2. As well as the development of artistic skill, children develop an understanding of colour, line, form, shape and the other visual elements of art through the practical aspects of their lessons.

Progression is art is not linear, which reflects the unique nature of the subject. Drawing, mark-making, colour mixing, painting, sculpting and making activities are introduced in Early Years and these continue to be weaved and layered throughout the curriculum and revisited continuously through to Year 6. Because there are not national standards in Primary art, we approach assessment in a holistic way that not only includes end outcomes but important factors such as intention and children’s understanding of key concepts.

Curriculum Map and Progression

Impact

By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes within the Art and Design curriculum. Pupils will leave St Matthew’s with a secure understanding of the academic content of our National Curriculum; with the understanding of how to be socially, morally, spiritually and culturally responsible and aware. They will have a clear understanding of how to make positive contributions to the local community and be able to endeavour to be the best that they can be. We aim for all of our children to leave St Matthews as respectful, skillful, ambitious young people with a thirst for life and all it has to offer.

Inclusion

Adaptive Teaching is key to delivering an effective and inclusive curriculum. All pupils' starting points are considered, activities and work is matched to ensure pupils reach their full potential, whilst supporting the child's learning.  Adult support, a range of activities, equipment, scaffolding, questioning and resources can enable children of all abilities to access learning. 

 Our school will ensure that:

• All children have entitlement to a broad and balanced, enriching curriculum
• All children enjoy an active involvement in Art and Design
• All children have opportunities to experience a broad and balanced range of art activities
• All children have opportunities to learn about art from different times and cultures
• All children will be given equal access to the experience of Art and Design regardless of their gender, race, disability, medical or other needs
• Teachers use a variety of approaches that are matched to the activity and the ability of the children

Research

Research frames our thinking in what we teach and how we deliver it to our children to ensure teaching and learning has maximum impact.

Please see references to the research linked above:

Primary Art National Curriculum KS1 &2: Guidance for Primary Art Subject Leads 

Art and design programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2 - National Curriculum in England

DfE Development Matters: Non-Statutory curriculum guidance for the early years foundation stage

Art Recommended Reading