Art and Design
Our art curriculum is broad, rich, contemporary & diverse It’s our aim that by the time every child leaves primary school they can feel as if they have found an area of the visual arts that is relevant and engaging to them – that might be through drawing, or making, or designing, or talking about art.
To achieve this it’s important that we create as many different kinds of opportunities as possible so that each child can find the thing which strikes a chord with them. That means covering lots of different disciplines, techniques, materials and approaches. It can be complicated knowing what to fit in and what to leave out, and how to order elements, but we’re confident that all versions of our curriculum provide a balanced yet rich offering, with progression of knowledge and skills woven throughout.
In practice, that might mean one day a child is practising observational drawing skills, another day they are working from their imagination making larger scale images, and another day they are discussing as a class how the context in which art is presented can change it’s meaning. The richness and relevance of experience makes learning memorable and impactful.
Our Christian values underpin all aspects of our teaching and learning. The high aspirations and expectations the teaching team have for the children ensure that no child is given a learning limit or ceiling and that every child is given the opportunity to flourish. The school values are integrated into every art lesson as follows:
Respect: Respect it at the core of our art lessons: respect for artists and their work; respect for each other and effort we put into our pieces; respect for opinions even if we don't agree; respect for the tools, equipment and process involved.
Joy: Children are encouraged to find joy in the everyday; experience joy for their success and the success of others; and to share their joy. Taking joy in the process of creating; joy in the beauty of art and the pieces we create and study. Joy in being supportive: offering advice and giving praise to peers for brilliant effort and achievements.
Compassion: We are compassionate, recognising the effort and frustration that sometimes comes with creativity. A compassionate artist and free thinker is a better model to their peers.