Intent:

At Sedgeberrow Church of England First School, we feel that Art and Design are essential in ensuring a full, rounded and inspirational curriculum for our children.  We are committed to providing artistic opportunities and development for every pupil irrespective of age, gender, race or religious beliefs.  Art and Design are central components of the primary curriculum and foster the essential development of creativity and expression.  Art and Design are also invaluable as a means of developing communicative skills, positive social interaction and collaborative working, enabling children to respond imaginatively and encouraging open-mindedness and confidence. 

Through our Art and Design Curriculum we aim:

1. to develop life-long awareness, enjoyment and appreciation of art whatever the learner’s ability.
2. to encourage the use of a variety of techniques to investigate thoughts, ideas and moods.
3. to allow pupils to work individually and in groups sharing ideas with others.
4. to develop evaluation skills through children’s own work and that of others.
5. to involve the children in cultural and historical opportunities.
6. in line with our teaching and learning policy, to provide an environment that will enable children to fulfill their potential within and through Art and Design.

 

Implementation

At Sedgeberrow Church of England First School, we ensure that our children are offered a wide range of creative experiences. A systematic approach to the development of artistic skills means that children are given opportunities to express their creative imagination, as well as to practise and develop mastery in the key processes of art:  

• Drawing
• Painting
• 3D/Mixed Media
• Printmaking

Each class is resourced with a wide range of materials to support the children’s confidence in using different media.  Knowledge and skills are mapped out progressively through each year group, providing children opportunities to build upon previous learning.  The emphasis on knowledge ensures that children understand the context of both the artwork and the artists. This enables links to other curriculum areas, with children developing a considerable knowledge of individual artists, as well as individual works and art movements.  At Sedgeberrow First School, we use sketchbooks from Year 1 through to Year 5.  Sketchbooks provide children with a space where they can freely express, create, develop and learn.  They provide a record of each child’s learning journey within Art and Design.

All classes have timetabled sessions to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum.  In addition to the timetabled lessons, we provide further learning opportunities for Art and Design through:

• art clubs within school
• art workshops
• current events e.g. European language day, Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations
• themed days
• specialist art teacher in Year 5
• trips to art galleries
• therapeutic art sessions to raise confidence and self-esteem.
• multimedia involvement – use of ICT equipment to enhance the arts.

 

Impact

Art and Design at Sedgeberrow Church of England First School develops pupils’:

• knowledge and understanding of the work of artists, craftspeople and designers from a range of times and cultures and their ability to apply this knowledge to their own work. 
• knowledge, ability and confidence working with a range of different media, using a variety of techniques. This is supported over time by effective lesson sequencing and progression between year groups. This also supports children in achieving age related expectations at the end of their cohort year.
• understanding and application of the key ‘Elements of Art’: line, colour, shape, form, value, space and texture. 
• understanding of the visual language of Art and Design, being able to critically analyse artwork using key vocabulary.

 

Art and Design at Sedgeberrow encourages pupils to:

• experiment with different techniques through different media.
• review, modify and develop their initial ideas in order to achieve high quality outcomes.  This creative journey is enabled through the use of sketchbooks.
• use art as a tool for expressing and exploring emotions.
• gain a sense of pride in their work, celebrating their creativity through classroom displays and whole school events.

 

Art and Design at Sedgeberrow offers pupils:

• opportunities to work alongside experienced artists and be inspired by their work.
• opportunities for pupils to plan and create challenging pieces using a variety of artistic tools and media.
• enriched creative experiences which increase their understanding of art through immersion in an exciting topic-based curriculum.

The structure and quality of the Art and Design curriculum at Sedgeberrow Church of England First School ensures that our children will develop a lifelong love of Art and Design.