At St. Gregory’s, Art and Design are highly valued. We have created an Art and Design curriculum which engages and inspires all children to express their individual creativity, and produce their own works of art. Creativity is encouraged from the very beginning of our children’s school experience. Within the EYFS, children are immersed in Expressive Arts and Design through a child-initiated approach. Building upon this, from Years One to Six, children are provided with sequentially-planned opportunities to experience a variety of media and techniques, and they are educated upon influential artists and craft makers from around the world, both past and present. Our Art and Design curriculum builds progressively to equip children with the knowledge and skills needed to: make informed choices, think critically of their own artwork and that of others, and work with increased independence.
Curriculum Intent:
Our curriculum intent for Art and Design has been meticulously-planned; providing all pupils with every opportunity to develop their ability, nurture their talent, express their ideas about the world, as well as learn about art and artists, across cultures and through history.
There are five core strands of learning which form the foundation of our Art and Design curriculum. Each strand weaves throughout the curriculum intent; reflecting the interplay between them. Each strand is developed throughout every Art and Design unit, in a spiral curriculum approach, where learning is revisited and built upon with increasing levels of complexity. This approach encourages balanced coverage of Art and Design.
The five strands are:
- Generating Ideas: through this strand, we encourage autonomy; placing emphasis on all children developing their creativity and generating original ideas through experimentation.
- Making Skills (including formal elements): within this strand, pupils develop their practical knowledge; working with a variety of media and materials, such as: different drawing tools, paints, modelling clay and fabric. Pupils are encouraged to explore and test out different methods, tools and techniques, and consider the effects in their own and others’ art work. They learn about the formal elements of art: tone, texture, colour, line, shape, form and pattern; becoming able to name, recognise and use these elements in their own art work.
- Evaluating and Analysing: within this strand, pupils learn to appreciate and discuss art; using appropriate language to analyse creative work. Here, pupils gain disciplinary knowledge; considering how artists studied, discussed and judged by examining the questions: what is art, why do people make art, how do people talk about art?
- Knowledge of Artists: pupils explore traditional and contemporary artists, craft makers and designers from diverse communities. They study the materials, processes and meanings in the work of various artists, as well as the interpretations made by viewers. This theoretical knowledge helps pupils to draw connections between art from the past and present, and between their own practical skills and the art works which they explore.
- Using Sketchbooks: the use of sketchbooks demonstrates the interplay between the strands above. Pupils document their ideas and try out different techniques and media, including those observed in other artists’ work, to further evaluate and evolve their own. The use of sketchbooks is not identified within the National Curriculum aims but we introduce them from the beginning of Key Stage Two as we consider it a vital artistic method for pupils to explore and grow their ideas.
Each year group visits units of lessons in four key areas, with children developing their learning in a progressive and meaningful way:
- Drawing
- Painting and Mixed Media
- Sculpture and 3D
- Craft and Design
The Craft and Design units are more varied; offering pupils exposure to a wide range of crafts and techniques. This broadens their horizons of art and the creative industries.
To read our Art and Design Curriculum Overview, click below.
Art and Design Subject Overview