Art and Design

Vision

Art plays an important part in developing not only our children’s creativity but also their ability to express their ideas and understanding, working both individually and collaboratively with others. At the Nar Valley Federation, each teacher plans art lessons, which aim to ensure that children can develop key skills using specific media. The importance of Art is evident through our yearly Art Exhibition, to which all children contribute, focusing on a skill or aspect of Art. We have a link with a local art gallery/theatre where the children contribute to an exhibition each December and have the opportunity to view exhibitions and discuss artists' and sculptors' work. Artists, photographers and designers visit our schools to discuss their work, explain techniques and provide an opportunity for children to participate and learn new skills. Our aim is to ensure that children are confident approaching artwork, feel a strong sense of achievement, value the impact of art within their own lives and can reach their full potential.

Intent

At the Nar Valley Federation, we believe that art is a vital part of children’s education and has a significant and valuable role in the taught curriculum, as well as the enrichment opportunities we offer our pupils. Our art curriculum will develop children’s critical abilities and understanding of their own and others’ cultural heritages through studying a diverse range of male and female artists from all over the world. Children will develop their understanding of the visual language of art with effective teaching and considered sequences of lessons and experiences. Understanding of the visual elements of art and design (line, tone, texture, colour, pattern, shape, 3D form) will be developed by providing a curriculum which will enable children to reach their full potential. We will enable this through lessons that build up skills over a half term, recording these steps in their sketchbooks with the aim of producing a final piece of artwork, that can be evaluated by them, their peers and their teacher alongside how an artist may have influenced their own style. By doing so, pupils will acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines and skills taught, accessing inspiration from artists, sculptors and craft makers throughout history and to the present day.

Aims

The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:

produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms

Attainment targets

By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.

Key stage 1

Pupils are taught:

to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products
to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination
to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space
about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work

Key stage 2

Pupils should be taught to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.