Art
Vision
Excellence achieved through care, creativity and challenge.
Intent
Our curriculum is designed to expand children’s cultural capital by exposing them to a range of artists and develop their knowledge of art techniques. They are able to be confident to use a range of mediums and respectfully critique their own and each other’s artwork. Our curriculum is designed in this way to provide pupils with the substantive and disciplinary knowledge required to become a reflective artist.
Implementation
Our curriculum’s purple threads are ‘Drawing, Painting, Materials, Sculpture, Evaluate and Analyse’ which have been derived from the National Curriculum. The threads taught build and progress the knowledge and skills to enable children to be confident using the language of art, craft and design. They are also equipped with skills and techniques to be assured artists.
Each year group studies a focus artist. Our curriculum is designed in this way to enrich children’s cultural capital because many of our children come from a deprived catchment demography. This thread looks into further detail on the formal elements in artists’ work and engage with it critically. Our pupils can critically evaluate their own and famous artists’ work.
Following the National Curriculum, all year groups have sketchbooks to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas. They are utilised across themes, including in Big Bangs and on school trips. Art is not taught as an independent theme, so teachers have the flexibility to be creative and create cross curricular links. Key information for teachers and pupils is provided in Knowledge Organisers which also highlight important vocabulary. Teachers model high-quality examples. The themes have been selected to excite, inspire and accumulate new skills whilst connecting back to prior learning.
Impact
Children have a secure understanding of artistic techniques that teachers assess against the Key Performance Indicators. Pupils self-assessed and
highlighted Knowledge Organisers to demonstrate their learning. Pupils can describe elements of an artists’ work and can articulate their effect in later years. The curriculum is delivered to secure and retain knowledge and develop mastery of the subject. Our pupils will develop the knowledge to have an opinion on and discuss of a range of artists and works. They will have a passion for and appreciation of art.
Enhancements
A group of Year 4, 5 and 6 GD children are invited to attend the Art after school club. They are given the opportunity to further develop art skills through different mediums and challenged to apply taught skills in greater contexts.
Fortnightly, a group of sixth form students hold workshops and activities as part of the Art Perse enrichment scheme. Children chosen are enriched with high quality activities that also challenges them, develops new interests beyond academic work and promotes interpersonal skills.
Furthermore, children are encouraged to bring their sketchbooks on trips and use these opportunities to sketch different objects outside of the classroom utilising the rich variety of galleries and museums in Cambridge. This also builds on outdoor learning activities and inspires children to be more inquisitive and build curiosity.
Art Progression
Knowledge Organisers are available here: www.kingshedgesprimary.org.uk/learning/knowledge-organisers
