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Art and Design

Intent

At St. Nicholas-at-Wade Primary School, we believe that all pupils deserve a fully rounded curriculum to become confident, independent, lifelong learners. Our curriculum intent is centred around the following drivers, which are fully embedded across all subjects:

  • Every child a reader
  • Every child a learner 
  • Every child a citizen 
  • Every child happy and healthy 
  • Every child creative and curious. 

At St Nicholas-at-Wade Primary School, we’re dedicated to delivering a high-quality art curriculum that nurtures creativity, engages our children, and inspires them to explore their own artistic abilities. We see art as an important means of self-expression, helping pupils to develop their well-being, appreciate the world around them, and cultivate empathy for others.

Our aim is to give all children the confidence to express themselves through various mediums. The art curriculum invites them to dive into a range of experiences, including drawing, painting, 3D design, and printmaking. Throughout their learning journey, pupils are encouraged to experiment with assorted materials and techniques, turning their ideas into reality. We ensure opportunities to practise key art techniques, like colour, pattern, and texture, are integrated across the curriculum, using individual sketchbooks to document their progress.

We believe it’s essential for our children to grasp how art and design have shaped our culture and historical understanding. Exploring different artists and their unique styles fosters this appreciation, with visits to local galleries enhancing their learning experience. By studying key artists, pupils can draw inspiration for their own creations. They’ll also have the chance to collaborate with peers on various projects in different dimensions and scales.

Ultimately, we want our children to not just react to art, but to understand it. By developing their art and design vocabulary, they will learn to articulate their observations and thoughts in a meaningful way.

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” –Maya Angelou

Implementation

At our school, we’ve embraced ‘Cornerstones Maestro’ as our go-to tool for planning and assessing our art curriculum. This approach is designed to align seamlessly with the objectives laid out in the National Curriculum 2014 Programme of Study for art and design. With a focus on substantive and disciplinary knowledge, we ensure that the skills, concepts, and knowledge taught are always relevant to the national standards.

Teachers receive guidance on integrating art and design within specific Cornerstone’s topics, fostering creativity and critical thinking. But we don’t stop there; we actively enrich our students' learning experiences by engaging with our local community, entering local art competitions, and collaborating with local artists. These opportunities encourage our children to explore different perspectives and styles, broadening their appreciation for the art world.

Outdoor learning is also a key component of our art curriculum. We take full advantage of the stunning environment surrounding our school, encouraging children to connect with nature. This hands-on exploration helps them understand how the natural world has influenced artists throughout history.

Moreover, our teachers have the freedom to create bespoke art sessions that target specific skills and celebrate local, national, and global art events. By fostering an environment where creativity is nurtured and exploration is encouraged, we aim to cultivate well-rounded young artists who appreciate the role of art in their lives and communities.

Early Years

In EYFS, pupils are provided with the opportunities to explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities. They have opportunities to learn by exploring the sensory aspects of different media and materials as well as texture and movement.

Key Stage One

In Key Stage One, children acquire knowledge through using a range of materials creatively. They will use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share ideas, develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space. They will also study a range of artists, designers and craft makers both locally and from the wider world. They will also begin to explore ideas through sketchbooks and start to evaluate their own work simply by sharing their own opinion and starting to listen to the opinion of others.

Key Stage Two

In Key Stage Two, children use sketchbooks to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas. They will also improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture using a range of materials. They will study a wider range of artists, architects and designers in history and engage with diverse forms of art through discussion and debate, respecting one another's opinions and interpretations. By the end of Key Stage Two, children will have a bank of knowledge and skills, have encountered many different techniques and art forms, reviewed and improved their ideas, as well as considering messages an artist is trying to convey. They will use this wide range of skills, concepts and knowledge to produce artwork that reflects both themselves and their own understanding of the wider world.

SEN

In our art curriculum, we strive to create an inclusive environment where every student can express themselves creatively. We support learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN) by providing tailored resources and adapted tasks that cater to individual abilities.

Impact

Children at St. Nicholas at Wade can think creatively about the world around them and express this through their artwork. Children are taught to think critically about artists and designers and the messages and values they are trying to convey, through these children leave our school with the confidence to express themselves creatively and with freedom through the medium of art.

Children's sketchbooks, classroom and school displays demonstrate the children’s opportunities to explore, reflect and evaluate their own and each other's artwork. Children will have embedded the key art, craft and design skills covering a wide variety of art and design from different cultures and diverse backgrounds, needed to allow them to transition effectively to their next stage of learning and, in turn the wider society.

We measure their progress through careful and considerate reflection on the children’s outcome versus the intended learning, the children’s own ability to discuss and reflect on their work, as well as a whole school celebration of art and design through the school year.

Subject leaders evaluate the impact of our curriculum through dedicated 'Subject Weeks'. During these weeks, leaders engage in a comprehensive examination of their subjects, which includes book scrutiny, observing teaching, tracking planning, and conducting pupil conferencing. This thorough approach enables leaders to ascertain the effectiveness of the planned curriculum in enhancing pupils' knowledge, understanding and outcomes in line with the endpoints. The process provides a 360-degree perspective on the intent behind the curriculum, allowing leaders to make informed decisions and strategically plan for subsequent steps to optimise educational outcomes for all students.