Art - Teaching & Learning
Curriculum Intent
At Dundonald Primary School we believe that Art is an essential and integral part of every child's education. Art enables pupils to develop a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world and different cultures, encouraging them to be open minded. We are committed to providing all children with opportunities to develop their personal style and individual creativity to become artists.
Art lessons enable pupils to acquire a range of skills including drawing, painting, sculpture, colour, printing, collage and pattern using a variety of techniques and processes. All children explore these skills in a nurturing and supportive environment.
Our Art curriculum is designed to give the children the skills and artistic experiences needed to ensure they all flourish as artists.
Curriculum Implementation
We have chosen to follow the Kapow scheme of work for Art and Design from Early Years to Year 6 because it is relevant and meets the needs of our pupils. It is designed with five strands that run throughout. These are:
- Generating ideas
- Using sketch books
- Making skills, including formal elements (line,shape, tone, texture pattern, colour)
- Knowledge of artists, evaluating and analysing
- Evaluating and analysing
Units of lessons are sequential and allow children to build their skills and knowledge over time. The formal elements, a key part of the National Curriculum, are also woven throughout units. Key skills are repeated with increasing complexity in a spiral curriculum model. This allows pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Units in each year group are organised into four core areas:
- Drawing
- Painting and mixed-media
- Sculpture and 3D
- Craft and design.
Lessons are always practical in nature and encourage experimental and exploratory learning. From Year 1, pupils use sketchbooks to document their ideas.
Children create pieces of artwork with increasing proficency by developing their practical knowledge of methods and techniques. Throughout their school experience, children learnt o use a variety of media and materials and experiment with formal elements such as line, tone, shape, colour, form, pattern and texture.
Children are introduced to a range of artists and creatives from diverse backgrounds around the world and from different times in history.
Arts Week provides the opportunity to enrich and broaden our curriculum offer, engaging parents and the wider community. Many of our children take part and are successful in local and national competitions such as the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and any local borough art competitions that are promoted.
Recording Art
Art learning is recorded in sketchbooks across the school and should typically evidence all four stages (Generating Ideas, Making, Knowledge and Evaluation). We encourage children to treat their sketchbooks like journals and their thoughts and learning are recorded in a format that they would like to use, for example, using thought bubbles. Each child is unique and each sketchbook should be unique, enabling children to develop their independence and creativity.
Art Assessment
Teachers assess children’s knowledge, understanding and skills in Art by making observations of the children working during lessons. Feedback given to children by their teachers is in the form of verbal feedback so that their art is not marked in the process. Children are also encouraged to be critical of their own work, highlighting their own next steps. Each half term, foundation subject assessment grids are completed by class teachers, showing children’s attainment. After the assessment grids have been updated, the foundation subject leaders, including Art, analyses the data and uses this to inform and improve future practice.
Inclusion
Lessons and activities are planned to include all children by using a range of approaches. This includes: questioning, use of equipment, and mixed ability grouping to enable children to offer peer support. Lessons are planned to facilitate the best possible outcome for all children within the class.
