Art & Design

Intent

At Riverside Primary we ensure our teaching and learning process covers the skills required to meet the aims of the National Curriculum expectation. Cornerstones is the foundation of our art and design curriculum as we believe the teaching of art and design should build on a backbone of skills and offer countless opportunities for quality cross-curricular art, whether it is to create a series of sketches over time or to develop ideas on a theme or mastery of an artistic technique. Cornerstones curriculum provides both an essential skills scheme and a vast array of artistic contexts for children to develop their on-going and natural creativity. The intent is to ensure all pupils produce creative, imaginative work. Children 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, as well as other selected craft skills, e.g. collage, printing, weaving and patterns. Children will also develop their knowledge of famous artists, designers and craft makers. Children will also develop their interest and curiosity about art and design through a series of lessons offering skills progression, knowledge progression and offering children the opportunity to ask questions and demonstrate their skills in a variety of ways. Our lessons offer the chance for children to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials (for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay).

Implementation

Art and design learning is loved by teachers and pupils across school and this is demonstrated through the exhibit of Black History, Artist Study and Summer Still Life art projects. The skills and knowledge that children will develop throughout each art topic are mapped across each year group and are progressive throughout the school. Our high-quality art and design curriculum engages, inspires and challenges children, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent, imagine and create works of art, craft and design. As well as practise and develop mastery in the key processes of art: drawing, painting, printing, textiles and sculpture. 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 and assessing their own work and by expressing their opinion on their own and other works of art. Children demonstrate competences in improving their resilience and perseverance by continually evaluating and improving 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 at the end of their cohort year.

Classroom displays reflect the children’s sense of pride in their artwork and this is also demonstrated by creative outcomes across the wider curriculum. The vibrant school environment also celebrates children’s achievements in art and demonstrates the subject’s high status in the school, with outcomes, including sculptures, enhancing the outdoor, as well as indoor, environment. The Art curriculum at Riverside Primary contributes to children’s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection. Children will achieve age related expectations in Art at the end of their cohort year. All children at Riverside are encouraged to express themselves artistically and speak confidently about their art and design work and their feel proud of their skills and effort.