INTENT

Art and design teaching at Whitwell Primary School instils an appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts.  Art and design stimulates imagination and creativity; involving children in a range of visual, tactile and sensory experiences, which enable them to communicate what they see, think and feel through the use of the elements of colour, texture, form and pattern.  Art and design promotes careful observation and an appreciation of the work of artists and designers. Through learning about the roles and functions of art, they can explore the impact it has had on contemporary life and on different periods and cultures. 

At Whitwell Primary School our intent is:

• To provide regular opportunities for pupils to observe and record from first-hand experience
• To empower pupils to express their own personal responses
• To encourage pupils to be creative and inspired as well as to think critically
• To build on prior learning so that there is increasing challenge for the children as they move up through the school
• To utilise a range of materials to draw, paint and sculpt whilst developing techniques in using colour, texture and pattern.

IMPLEMENTATION

We use a variety of teaching and learning styles in art and design lessons at Whitwell Primary School. Through the use of the Plan Bee curriculum, we are able to deliver a carefully planned, sequenced and resourced set of lessons for each year group in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. We ensure that the act of investigating and making something includes exploring and developing ideas, and evaluating and developing work. We do this best through a mixture of whole-class teaching and individual/group activities. Teachers draw attention to good examples of individual performance as models for the other children. They encourage children to evaluate their own ideas and methods, and the work of others, and to say what they think and feel about them. We give children the opportunity within lessons to work on their own and collaborate with others, on projects in two and three dimensions and on different scales. Children also have the opportunity to use a wide range of materials and resources, including ICT.

IMPACT

By the end of their time at Whitwell Primary School, we want pupils to have learned, improved and embedded a range of artistic skills. They should have an awareness of a broad range of artists and craftspeople, and be able to consider and discuss the artworks they come across. We want our pupils to be confident to explore, experiment and take risks, placing value on the process and journey that they take, not just on the finished product. Most importantly, we want children to have found and enjoyed a creative outlet – a means of self-expression and enjoyment.

We also focus on progression of knowledge and skills and discreet vocabulary progression also form part of the units of work. We measure the impact of our curriculum through assessment and book scrutiny. Children are able to demonstrate the progression of skills and knowledge through the continued use of sketchbooks through each Key Stage.

Art in action