Our Artistic Adventure - The Art Curriculum at Godinton

Art Long Term Overview

Art Progression of Skills

Art Knowledge

Art in Focus

Curriculum Intent

At Godinton Primary School, Art, alongside Design Technology forms part of our ‘Creative Adventure’. The artistic opportunities provided for the children as they voyage through the world of art, enable them to work with a variety of media and develop a range of skills to produce imaginative pieces of artwork. We encourage all our children to develop their talents – we may have a future Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo or Barbara Hepworth in our midst - and through the medium of art want our children to feel confident to try new things, to experiment, to be reflective about their work and to feel proud of their achievements.

Through our artistic adventure, our children learn skills of drawing, painting, printing, collage, textiles and 3D art with digital art weaving through the curriculum. They learn about the lives of inspirational artists who have set the art world alight and the impact they have had on the world around them and about art from different cultures. The children’s artistic vocabulary is developed so they can talk with increased confidence about art and we provide opportunities for the children to make links with other areas of the curriculum so art is not always viewed in isolation. We want our children to be inquisitive and ask questions - How was this piece of work produced? How can I mix colours to convey a mood in my picture? We want them to view the world around them with the eyes of an artist and think about shapes, colours and texture so they can use their observations to inform their own work.

Most importantly, we want our children to be enthused by art – we want them to have no limits to what their ambitions are and to grow up wanting to be illustrators, graphic designers, curators, textile designers or printmakers. By enjoying the activities which form our curriculum their skills will flourish and they will make good progress.

As part of our Guiding Stars curriculum, Art, Design Technology and Music are the leading light subjects for ‘Creative Thinking’.

Within these curriculum areas, the children learn how to manipulate sound, media and materials to respond to different stimuli in interesting and innovative ways and they capture ideas in visual or audio form. The children learn how to make prototypes to test ideas. They come up with new solutions and are not afraid to adopt a trial and error approach, thinking outside the box and evaluating success and looking for ways to improve. The children enjoy collaborating in order to make the best of everybody’s ideas and discover how famous artists, architects and musicians paved the way with new ideas and discoveries.

Click on the Creative Thinking icon below to find out more about how the children’s understanding of creative thinking progresses throughout these curriculum areas.

Curriculum Implementation

Our curriculum focuses on the units of drawing, painting, printing, collage, textiles and 3D (modelling and sculpture) art. Each area of focus is covered as a block of 6 lessons, three times between Year 1 and Year 6 in order to ensure that skills and knowledge progress and that the children build on their prior learning.

Lessons are put together as a sequenced unit of work which teachers plan in order to build up the skills and knowledge needed to produce a final piece of work. This sequence of lessons includes opportunities to explore the works of famous artists, experiment with different media, tools and techniques, produce trial pieces which can be improved and developed and creating an end piece which incorporates all these elements. The children are guided and supported by their teachers who provide verbal and written feedback which celebrates success and helps identify how the children could further improve their work. Children record their work in their Creative Adventure books.

As they journey through the unit of work, the children have the opportunity to discuss their work and that of others, sharing good ideas and opinions. They are encouraged to be reflective and to evaluate.

Where circumstances permit, we plan opportunities for children to visit art galleries and museums, as well as visits from local artists.

EYFS

The EYFS framework is structured very differently to the National Curriculum and it is organised across seven areas of learning rather than subject areas. Art appears under the specific area of Expressive Arts and Design, but it also features in the prime area of Physical Development.

In our Reception classrooms, Art is taught through a cross-curricular approach by linking each area of learning to a termly topic or focus book. Our children are taught key skills such as colour mixing, designing, and constructing through engaging, interactive lessons that relate, not only to our termly topics and focus books, but also to the children’s own interests and experiences. Children are given opportunities to develop their artistic skills, imagination and use of tools and equipment through exciting play-based activities and ‘enhancements’ during child-initiated sessions. They are encouraged to work collaboratively to create shared artwork as well as individual pieces. Our children are provided with a wide range of materials and equipment to explore on a daily basis, most of which are readily available for the children to choose and use independently in our ‘creation station’. Children are encouraged to create on both small and large scales and our outdoor space is designed to support this, in addition to our internal classrooms. Children are able to develop their communication and language skills through talking about their creations and sharing these with others, to build confidence and raise self-esteem.

It is our aim that when children at Godinton Primary School finish their first year of school and move into Year 1, they will be able to:

• Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
• Share their creations, explaining the process they have used.
• Hold a pencil effectively in preparation for fluent writing - using
• The tripod grip in almost all cases.
• Use a range of small tools, including scissors, paintbrushes and cutlery.
• Begin to show accuracy and care when drawing.

Curriculum Impact

The impact of this curriculum design will lead to secure progress over time across key stages relative to a child’s individual starting point. Children will therefore be expected to leave Godinton reaching at least age-related expectations for Art. We ensure that children who are achieving well, as well as those who need additional support, are identified, and additional provision and strategies are planned into lessons to support their needs.