The Art and Design curriculum inspires creativity, builds technical skills, and fosters resilience, enabling children to explore ideas, learn about cultural influences, and develop confidence in expressing themselves through varied artistic techniques.
Our Art and Design curriculum, offers sequences of lessons to ensure pupils have progressively covered the knowledge, understanding and skills required in the National Curriculum. Our intent is to ensure that all pupils produce creative, imaginative work. Children will have the opportunity to explore their ideas and record their experiences, as well as exploring the work of others and evaluate different creative ideas. Children will become confident and proficient in a variety of techniques including drawing, painting, sculpting, collage, printing, weaving and pattern making. Children will also develop their knowledge of famous artists, designers and craft makers. Children will develop their interest and curiosity about art and design through a series of lessons offering skills progression, knowledge progression providing our children with the opportunities to ask questions and demonstrate their skills in a variety of ways. The lessons will offer the chance for children to develop their emotional expression through art to further enhance their personal, social and emotional development. The progression grid will support teachers to ensure progression of skills and knowledge in mixed age settings.
Through these lessons, we intend to inspire pupils to develop a love of Art and Design and the skills to continue to pursue it. As with all of our curriculum subjects our Art and Design curriculum has our school vision at its heart.
‘But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’ Isaiah 40:31
At Weston Lullingfields, ‘within our small school big family with God’ community, we live out Isaiah’s message of hope through celebrating and nurturing resilience. Our curriculum promotes awe and wonder and is relevant to our children as we help them to prepare for all of life beyond our school gates.
We live out our vision through the Christian values of courage, perseverance, respect, and thankfulness with forgiveness threading through all values.
We understand that God’s heart is for all of us to soar like eagles. However, the reality is that we live in a world that is full of wows and ows – with all the challenges this leads to. God’s heart is for us to live in community where we gain the skills, confidence, and self-belief to overcome these challenges and therefore to soar.
In KS1 and 2 a sequence of lessons takes place over a half termly block alternating with Design and Technology. In Acorns class the curriculum is delivered in a two-year rolling programme. In Oak Class the units are arranged in a four year rolling programme. Because of our mixed age classes art skills and knowledge may be met at different stages in children’s learning journeys. Teachers are mindful of this when planning and ensure support and challenge is built into each unit by using steps of progression. Our Art and Design lessons use common language, progression and continuity. The revision and introduction of key vocabulary is built into each lesson through the use of unit knowledge organisers which are referred to at the beginning of every lesson. This practice helps children to revisit and consolidate previous learning. Lessons develop pupils’ techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design. Children develop an understanding of how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
Art and design learning is enjoyed by pupils across school. Teachers have higher expectations and quality evidence can be presented in a variety of ways, although all contributions will be valued. All children use technical vocabulary accurately and pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified. Children improve their enquiry skills and inquisitiveness about the world around them, and their impact through art and design on the world. Children will become more confident in analysing their work and giving their opinion on their own and other works of art. Children show competences in improving their resilience and perseverance by continually evaluating and improving their work. All children in school can speak confidently about their art and design work and their skills.