Intent

John Shelton Primary School believes that art is a vital part of children’s education, with a significant and valuable role in the taught curriculum we offer our pupils. Learning within art, craft and design stimulates creativity and imagination. Our art curriculum should inspire, engage and challenge children to allow them to develop an appreciation of art - enabling pupils to communicate what they see, feel and think through the use of colour, texture, form and pattern. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences to build foundational knowledge, especially through the Early Year Foundation Stage and a special way of understanding and responding to the world. The art curriculum will develop children’s critical abilities, as well as an understanding of their own and others’ cultural heritages through the study of a diverse range of artists.  

Children will develop their understanding of the visual language of art with effective teaching and considered sequences of lessons, scaffolded support will be in place to ensure the curriculum and experiences are accessible for all pupils at John Shelton. These lessons are supported through the use of Kapow. 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. 

Implementation

The skills and knowledge that children will develop throughout each art topic are mapped across each year group and are progressive throughout the school.  The emphasis on knowledge ensures that children understand the context of the artwork, as well as the artists that they are learning about and being inspired by.  A systematic approach to the development of artistic skills based on prior skill and knowledge means that children are given opportunities to express their creative imagination, as well as practise and develop the key processes of art: drawing, painting, printing, textiles and sculpture. 

Each new unit of work begins with a recap of the previous related knowledge from previous years.  This helps children to retrieve what they have learnt in the earlier sequence of the programme of study and ensures that new knowledge is taught in the context of previous learning to promote a shift in long term memory.  Key vocabulary for the new topic is introduced and the children are shown and discussed in the knowledge organiser.  This provides definitions and accompanying visuals for each word to ensure accessibility to all.  This approach also means that children are able to understand the new vocabulary when it is used in teaching and learning activities and apply it themselves when they approach their work.

Impact 

The structure of the art curriculum ensures that children are able to develop their knowledge and understanding of the work of artists, craftspeople and designers from a range of times and cultures and apply this knowledge to their own work.  The consistent use of children’s sketchbooks means that children are able to review, modify and develop their initial ideas in order to achieve high quality outcomes.  Children learn to understand and apply the key principles of art: line, tone, texture, shape, form, space, pattern, colour, contrast, composition, proportion and perspective.  The opportunity for children to refine and develop their techniques over time is supported by effective lesson sequencing and progression between year groups.  This also supports children in achieving age related expectations. 

The Art and Design curriculum at John Shelton Primary School contributes to children’s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection.