“Art is not just a subject to learn, but an activity that you can practise with your hands, your eyes, your whole personality.”            Quentin Blake, Children’s Laureate

Art at Holy Innocents’ Catholic Primary School
Intent, implementation and impact

Intent

As a school, we believe that art is a vital area of children’s education and is an important part of their entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. It provides them with opportunities to develop a range of ways in which they can share and express their individual creativity, to develop and extend skills and an opportunity to express their thoughts and ideas.

The focus is in developing a high-quality art curriculum which should engage, inspire and challenge pupils’ proficiency in drawing, painting, understanding colour and shade and sculpture. Moreover, it enables pupils to develop a natural sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them and a means to show this.

Aims

The National Curriculum for art 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.

Curriculum Implementation

The teaching and implementation of the Art Curriculum at Holy Innocents Primary School is based on the National Curriculum and is linked to a wide range of topics to ensure a well-structured approach to this creative subject.

The children are taught Art as part of their termly topic work.  Areas covered include sculpture, drawing, painting, printing and textiles. This is supported through the studying of key artists and the development of a knowledge of their work. Lessons are taught in blocks on a half termly basis, alternating with DT, and involve studying existing pieces of art, sketching aspects of these, with a particular focus on the necessary skills, before completing a final piece possibly through sculpture or textile work. The evidence of their work is collected within the art sketch book, either via sketch or photographic evidence which follows the children through the school, so development can be seen by both the child and teacher.

Early Years Foundation Stage

Pupils explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities. They have opportunities to learn to:

• Explore the textures, movement, feel and look of different media and materials
• Respond to a range of media and materials, develop their understanding of them in order to manipulate and create different effects.
• Use different media and materials to express their own ideas
• Explore colour and use for a particular purpose
• Develop skills to use simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately
• Select appropriate media and techniques and adapt their work where necessary

Key stage 1

Pupils are taught:

• To use a range of materials creatively to design and make products
•  To use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination
•  To develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space
•  About the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.    

Key stage 2

Pupils are taught to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design are taught:

Pupils are taught:

• To create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas
•  To improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials [for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay, 3D models]
• About great artists, architects and designers in history

Art Clubs (Before Covid)

Pupils have access to after school art clubs, run for Key stage 1 and Key stage 2, on a limited number basis each term, run by enthusiastic parents and have fun experiences using mixed media in an informal friendly atmosphere.

Curriculum Impact

 Information is gathered through pupil interviews, book monitoring and class observations by the subject leader to ensure sufficient depth and subject knowledge is shared with the children. Progress and attainment throughout the topics are based against National Curriculum expectations of attainment and skills encountered.

Formative assessment is ongoing via peer and self assessment by asking 'What did they do well?'  'How could this be improved even further?' 'Are you pleased with your work?' In this way the art is celebrated, recognised and praised by not just adults but by those classmates who are around them.

However the true success to art at Holy Innocents is in the recognition and celebration of the work created by the children on constant display throughout the school. By showcasing the creativity and skills developed throughout their time spent with us is a true testament to the impact we hope to have on their lives.