Art Skills and Knowledge Document
Intent
At Elmlea our Art Curriculum ensures all children have the opportunity to explore their ideas, record experiences and produce creative, imaginative work. We aim to develop the talents, creativity and confidence of children through a fun, cross-curricular approach which focuses on a progression of artistic skills, extends cultural horizons, and provides a platform for self-expression. The curriculum has been designed to ensure that all children’s artwork is celebrated through their own creative journey.
Children will become confident and proficient in a variety of techniques based upon our three core strands: Draw, Paint and Sculpture, with other selected craft skills woven throughout these such as collage, printing, and patterns. Children will also develop their knowledge of styles and vocabulary by exploring and evaluating the work of famous local and world-wide artists, designers, craft makers.
Implementation/Learning Journey
In EYFS, the curriculum has been designed to give children creative freedom to express
themselves
through art, whilst also ensuring children learn specific skills focused around
colour, patterns and
texture, drawing and painting, design and making, and learning how to use tools correctly. Resources are
made readily available and whilst support is offered to those who need it, pupils are encouraged to
explore the resources with growing
independence. The class teacher leads the teaching of key skills
and children work in small groups to practise these and produce final pieces of work. The art created is
based on the topic of that term, which is chosen by the children and can be anything from ‘Space’ to
‘Jungles’ and ‘Under the Sea’.
From year 1 to year 6, all art units focus on one of the three strands: Draw, Paint, Sculpture.
In KS1, Art is taught by the class teacher. Each year group works on at least one art project per term,
which often supports the termly year group topic. These projects focus on a specific skill or skills and
allow pupils the opportunity to build on their previous learning.
Included in these projects is work
for school displays. For display work, briefs are provided, which include explicit skills for the year
groups to focus on. The displays aim to celebrate the children’s creativity and allows pupils and staff
to see the clear progression through key stages. Key vocabulary is taught at the beginning of each
lesson and referred to throughout. Sketchbooks are to encourage ownership of work and creative freedom.
They allow children to practise skills and techniques in their own space and offer pupils a place to
record their own unique creative journey. The evaluation of work is completed alongside the children. At
the end of each session, a five to ten minute discussion allows children to talk and reflect on the
skills and techniques they have learnt and applied. It is a time to celebrate success and discuss ways
to develop their skills. During this reflection time, the teacher will use questions and sentence
prompts to help, and children are encouraged to use appropriate vocabulary.
Art lessons in KS2 are planned within individual year groups and are delivered by the class teacher. There is an emphasis on Art supporting other subjects, for example, enriching descriptive vocabulary or understanding of Literature in English, complementing History and Geography topics or providing an insight into other Religions and World Views. Our curriculum is designed to spiral from Years 3 to Years 6, revisiting key vocabulary and skills for consolidation and then challenging the children to extend their knowledge and skills. In Key Stage Two, children are encouraged to become increasingly independent in their use of sketchbooks to develop their self-expression and to explore a range of mediums and techniques firmly rooted in the visual elements of art and design. Through annotating their reflections in their sketchbooks, the children demonstrate an increasingly sophisticated articulation of critical thinking. Art lessons introduce a range of artists’ work across different time periods and cultures and children are encouraged through discussion, to develop their understanding of and opinion on increasingly complex works of art. We recognise that creative achievement is an important vehicle for building self-esteem and a sense of self, and the children’s work is celebrated in class during feedback and reflection sessions, in whole school displays and with parents and carers at home.
Across the school, the children are continuously encouraged to be reflective and evaluative in their
work, thinking about how they can make changes to aid their progression. The evidence of their work is
collected within the art sketchbook as well as final pieces of work.
By using sketchbooks, this
allows the children to externalise their thoughts, make
connections and deepen their artistic
understanding through their own visual creative
journey.
Enrichment
Besides our curriculum lessons, we celebrate Art through our annual ‘Arts Week’. This
enrichment
opportunity permits the children to immerse themselves in a week of creativity alongside artistic
workshops conducted by experienced Art practitioners, where all of the work produced is celebrated at
the end of the week. In addition, extra-curricular opportunities such as Craft Club are available for
the children to partake in.
