“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” Pablo Picasso
Art and design stimulates creativity and imagination. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences, and a special way of understanding and responding to the world. It enables children to communicate what they see, feel and think, through the use of colour, texture, form, pattern and different materials and processes. Children become involved in shaping their environments through art and design activities. They learn to make informed judgements, and aesthetic and practical decisions. They explore ideas and meanings through the work of artists and designers. Through learning about the roles and functions of art, they can explore the impact it has had on contemporary life and on different periods and cultures. The appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts enriches all our lives.
Teaching and Learning in Art
In order to effectively explain each of our subject areas, key documentation is established by the subject leader and shared with all relevant teaching staff. This documentation includes:
- The Subject Policy
- The Subject Long Term Plan with featured artists
- The knowledge and Skills Progression Document
These documents collate, and clearly outline the expectations, coverage and implementation of the Art and Design curriculum.
Subject leadership Documentation
In addition, subject leaders are required to monitor the effectiveness of their subject throughout each academic year. In order to do this with effect, the following documentation is updated regularly.
- Subject review – an audit of the subject is completed annually RAG rating the effectiveness of the subject identifying subject priorities.
- Subject Action Plan – Developed using the School Development Plan priorities and the end of year audit to establish next steps as we continue to strive to improve each subject area.
- Monitoring Cycle –Our Learning Enquiry approach ensures the monitoring of art and design. Our carefully scheduled book looks, learning walks, planning/resource checks, pupil voice and staff voice. All findings are collated; feedback is shared and next steps are actioned. Planning and resource checks are completed at the start of the unit for the Art and design team to ensure no learning is lost.
Delivery of Art and Design
Our Art and Design curriculum is taught every other week. This is to ensure sufficient coverage so that the knowledge and skills are taught.
Lesson content
In support of foundational understanding of Art and Design, key components of lessons have been established in conjunction with teaching performas to support class teachers with consistent delivery lesson-by-lesson.
These key components art lessons will include:
- Careers in art – As each Art lesson begins, the teacher will explain what art and design is. In the first and last lessons in the sequence, the teacher will look at possible careers in art.
- Cross curricular retrieval – A question linked to Design and technology linked to previous assessment gaps or retrieval of current or recent topic.
- Skills of an artist – Children are reminded of the key skills commonly used in the subject area and the particular focus for the lesson. E.g painting, drawing, sketching, sculpture, collage, printing and digital media.
- Vocabulary – Relevant, art specific vocabulary is shared, defined and repeated by the children. These words will be used throughout the lesson to ensure purposeful discussion.
- Artist work – Analysis of a particular artist or a review of the current artist that the focus of study is on.
- Practice techniques / create artwork – Children will practice techniques that have been modelled by the teacher or through the use of videos. Children will create artwork applying the techniques. Evaluation will take place throughout the series of lessons.
- Core 10 strategies – Evidence based, high quality teaching strategies are employed where appropriate encouraging modelling, retrieval strategies, accurate assessment and purposeful reflections by learners.
Performance and Learning Evidence
Evidence collation is key to support the learning process and the monitoring of teaching and learning by subject leaders and senior leaders. In order to evidence Art & Design effectively, the following strategies have been implemented:
- EYFS – Floor book and art display area
- Year 1 – Individual Sketch books and end of unit quizzes.
- Year 2 to Year 6 – Individual Sketchbooks, reflections and end of unit quizzes.
The Class Teacher assesses children after each unit based on the knowledge and skills they have demonstrated over time with a focus on the progress they have made. This process uses evidence from the child’s sketchbook, conversations with the child and observations within the lessons. This enables the Class Teacher to make judgements on whether the child is working towards age-related expectations, working at age-related expectations, or exceeding age-related expectations for that artistic skill. The use of a bespoke end of unit quizzes, that have been designed by the subject leads, also assess knowledge. These judgements will be recorded termly on Arbour following each unit of work. The Subject Lead will moderate assessment judgements in-line with the school’s assessment calendar. All year groups use the Art and Design Progression document to plan lessons, ensure progression, and assess learning.
Websites
https://www.tate.org.uk/kids/explore/what-is/pop-art
https://www.boredpanda.com/land-art-andy-goldsworthy
http://www.antonygormley.com/sculpture
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zxsbcdm/