Boughton Monchelsea Primary SchoolArt & Design
Why we teach Art & Design
At Boughton Monchelsea Primary School, we believe that Art and Design express some of the highest forms of creativity, we value Art and Design as an important part of our children’s entitlement to a broad and balance curriculum.
Art is widely used to widen other areas of the curriculum and is seen as a rich opportunity to develop new and exciting techniques, to gain a strong knowledge and understanding about a variety of contemporary and historical artists and to allow children to express themselves and take risks in a safe, creative environment. Creativity is a powerful tool to build better learners, boost well-being, social and physical development and help us all to be better citizens in a rapidly-evolving, diverse world.
How we teach Art & Design
At Boughton Monchelsea Primary School, we value children’s creativity, individuality and the development of artistic skills. Through our Art curriculum, we aim to give children freedom to develop a range of skills. We want them to be to plan, create, explore and review their own ideas in a range of artistic techniques including drawing, painting, printing, working in 3D (e.g. clay), developing textiles and using digital technology.
We have a robust framework for Art and Design skills and knowledge in place using ‘Curriculum Maestro’; this is used by teachers to support subject knowledge and provide structure for planning high quality lessons. The Curriculum Maestro framework provides ‘the building blocks’ of our Art and Design curriculum, helping to guide and sequence clear progression. Our Art and Design curriculum is designed to be taught in a particular order so that children build knowledge and deepen skills over time, as we know that they will not be successful in undertaking new tasks or be understanding new concepts without having mastered the required prior knowledge and skills. Through delivery of our Cornerstones projects, rich interconnections are maximised and sequenced effectively alongside other curriculum subjects with similar concepts.
We know how important it is to teach children correct vocabulary. Children will be taught both subject specific vocabulary, e.g impressionism or sculpture, and broader terminology, e.g. foreground or pose. Vocabulary is carefully built into the lesson plans and resources on ‘Maestro’, this helps ensure explicit teaching so that children encounter and learn the most appropriate vocabulary for the subject matter being studied; this can then be mastered over time within the subject and across the wider curriculum.
The children develop a record of their artwork over time at Boughton Monchelsea in their sketchbooks, beginning in Year 1 and taking them through into Year 6. Their artwork also take the form of modelling, larger drawings, paintings or sculpture. We also encourage collaborative learning and children have the opportunity to complete collaborative artwork using a range of materials not only within their year group but across the whole school.
Our aim is that the children at Boughton Monchelsea become creative learners who build and retain a web of knowledge about great artists of the world. Creativity and uniqueness are celebrated, and children become reflective learners through editing and improving the pieces they have created. There is an emphasis placed on individuality and children are given the freedom to explore art using their imaginations. Children will have embedded the key Art and Design skills needed to allow them to produce inventive pieces of art. The impact of our Art curriculum is that it equips children to be imaginative, confident creators, evaluators and reflective engaged learners.
Our Curriculum Drivers in Art & Design
Being Human
It is through the arts where children express and understand themselves – a gateway into a world of emotion, imagination, and self-reflection. Through art, children develop their emotional expression to further enhance their personal, social and emotional development. Art’s contribution to children’s wellbeing is especially pertinent in the current global climate of uncertainty. Enabling children to communicate what they see, feel and think through the use of colour, texture, form and pattern leads to art and design experiences that have a truly positive impact on other areas of the curriculum.
The World
Art and Design has the power to excite children’s natural curiosity to explore and appreciate the wonders of the world in which they live. We incorporate opportunities for children to take their learning outside the classroom, exploring our surrounding environment and local area.
Change
We want children empowered with the language needed to engage with art and learn from a diverse range of artists so children can view life through the eyes of many and deepen their perspectives of what is possible. Art and Design both reflects and shapes our history and contributes to the culture, creativity, and wealth of our nation. Through Art and Design, we want children to take risks and muster the confidence to experiment and explore a wide pallet of possibilities.
Exploration
Through a range of artistic experiences, where children are introduced to a range of artists and encouraged to explore the art created by others, they develop a true appreciation of different art forms and styles, as well as develop their own ideas and artistic preferences. The ability to control materials, tools and techniques – through creation of colour, shape, line, and texture using methods of printing, collage, drawing, painting and sculpture – empower children to innovate and create their own original pieces inspired by a diverse range of artists.
How our curriculum is structured
EYFS
Art and Design plays a very important role in child development. Children are taught to represent their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through expressive art and design. Children are taught and encouraged to safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function having endless opportunities to explore these tools and techniques daily. They return to and build on their previous learning, refining ideas and developing their ability to represent them.
Key Stage 1
In Key Stage 1 children begin to use a range of materials creatively to design and make art pieces. Children are given the opportunity to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas. The children begin to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space. They begin to discuss the work of a range of artists considering the differences an similarities between their different practices and disciplines and using these to make links to their own ideas.
Key Stage 2
In key stage 2, children will continue to build upon the skills learnt in key stage 1 and further develop and build upon skills throughout their learning journey in key stage 2. The children will use their sketchbooks to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas. They will improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials. The children will also build upon their knowledge of great artists in history.
Enrichment
We are proud to be an ‘Art Builders’ school. Art Builders is an arts-in-education programme led by Animate Arts Company. This gives access to a wealth of local artists and their expertise. We actively welcome outside speakers to share their skills, knowledge, experience, culture and heritage with us. We are proud of the high quality of art at Boughton Monchelsea and seek to celebrate the artistic endeavours of our children, with recognition ranging from displaying artwork throughout the school, sharing artwork on Art Builders social media or the chance to have work exhibited in our school events, where families are invited into school to enjoy pupils' creations.
art skills and knowledge progression .pdf