Art & Design

Art & Design Intent

“Creativity takes courage.” Henri Matisse

We value Art and Design as an important part of children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. Art provides children with the opportunity to develop their individual skills and creativity, express their individual interests, thoughts, ideas and understanding and to work both individually and collaboratively with others. Our aim is to ensure children are confident when approaching artwork, feel a strong sense of achievement and value the impact of art within their lives.

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 and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a deeper understanding of art and design in both figurative and abstract forms. Children should develop knowledge about artists and designers, identifying their similarities and differences and making links with their own work while improving their knowledge of technical procedures and processes. With this, children should develop confidence in their problem solving and decision making skills through experimentation and analysis. They should also know how art and design reflects and shapes our history and contributes to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:

produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms

Art and Design Implementation

Art and Design at Garfield is supported by Kapow Art plans, ensuring a well-structured approach and a systematic progression of skills.

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.

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]
about great artists, architects and designers in history

Art and Design Impact

We want children to become confident and successful Artists, with understanding of what the subject will bring to their lives and the links within their local and wider community.

Children in the EYFS are assessed within Expressive Arts and Design and progress is tracked termly. Age related expectations are reported to parents at the end of Reception.

In KS1 and KS2, assessment takes place throughout the year and at the ends of topics. Teachers record progress in Art & Design against National Curriculum expectations for each year group. Teachers use this information to inform future lessons, ensuring children are supported and challenged appropriately. Assessment data is analysed to inform and address any trends or gaps in attainment. Further information is gathered through pupil voice activities, highlighting strengths and achievements and any recommendations for improvements, knowledge and skills that need to be embedded. Each part of the Art and Design curriculum is reviewed termly by the subject leader.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

To improve the diversity, equality and therefore quality of our Art & Design curriculum, we consulted with The Black Curriculum, who commended our inclusivity and further supported us in ensuring our curriculum is representative of our community.