Purpose of Study:

Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

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.

Intent:

At Grange Junior School, art is taught as a subject in its own right designed to ensure all pupils (including disadvantaged and SEND) can follow a clear, ambitious progression to ensure skills, knowledge and understanding are built upon and secured across the key stage meeting the aims of the national curriculum. Art is also used to support and enrich other areas of the curriculum, leading to high quality outcomes. The intent is to ensure all pupils produce creative, imaginative work. Through Art, children learn about and take part in key relevant local, historical and community events, developing a sense of place and relationship with the world develop their emotional expression and further enhance their personal, social and emotional development. Children will become confident and proficient in a variety of techniques including drawing, painting, sculpting, as well as other selected craft skills, e.g. collage, printing, weaving and patterns: art fosters children’s creativity, developing their sense of personal identity as well as an understanding and respect for other artists, craftmakers and designers across the world and through time. Children will also develop their interest and curiosity about art and design allowing them the opportunity to ask questions and demonstrate their skills in a variety of ways.

Implementation:

The art long term plan ensures a coherent, broad and balanced curriculum is offered across the Key Stage enabling all pupils – icleding those with SEND - to achieve. Units of work are planned by the subject manager, often linked to other curriculum areas.  A sequence of lessons ensures that over each unit - and throughout the keystage - there is progression in the key skills of drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, textiles, printing and/or computing. Trips and special events serve to widen children’s art experiences which are woven into their art learning journeys. Units of work also ensure that knowledge and understanding of great artists, craft makers and designers are developed during the children’s learning journeys because children should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation. Staff development, informed by monitoring, ensures that teachers have good subject knowledge and understanding of the key skills to enable them to deliver high quality lessons, leading to high quality outcomes. A planned yearly Arts’ week provides opportunity for the whole school to work collaboratively on an arts based theme, enriching the children’s overall experience. Children’s finished pieces are displayed, celebrated and shared within school, the local area, across the county and in county publications.

Impact:

Art and design learning is enjoyed by teachers and pupils across school, and teachers have clearer and higher expectations for what can be achieved - including those with SEND – so that the best possible outcome can be achieved. In addition to this, children use technical vocabulary more accurately and pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified. In order for this to occur, pupils are provided with oral and/or written feedback in art diaries on their work, detailing strengths and areas for development against the learning objectives and key skills and knowledge for the piece/unit of work. As a result of this, children will improve their enquiry skills and inquisitiveness about the world around them, and their impact through art and design on the world becoming more confient in analysing their work and the work of others (whilst improving their resilience and perseverance). Planning can then be adapted as necessary for groups/individuals. At the end of a unit of work, children are assessed against the key skills, using the school’s agreed assessment for foundation subjects. Children have planned opportunities to share and celebrate their work with their families and a written report is provided annually. In addition to this, the art subject manager carries out regular monitoring in the form of book scrutiny and pupil conferencing. This information is used to establish the effectiveness of planning, teaching and learning for that term and provides points for further professional development within the subject, either on an individual, cohort or whole school level.