Curriculum
Art and Design
Intent
The ‘Arts’ play a key role as part of our ‘Creative Curriculum’. They enable children to experience a breadth and range of cultural opportunities through Art & Design and Music. The ‘Arts’ have the potential to unlock creativity, talents, depths and excellence as well as promote a joy in learning. They are important in the role of supporting the well being of our children as well as the potential to value and recognise the uniqueness of each individual, nurture and support all abilities and equip children with the resilience and perseverance to be creative and independent thinkers as well as lifelong learners.
Implementation
As an Arts Mark Gold school, we promote a positive attitude to the Arts (Art & Design and Music) learning for all of our children both within their classrooms, communal areas and local community through display and performance. Expectations are that all children are capable of achieving high standards in all aspects of the subject. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of the Arts takes the following format:
- The Arts are taught by all class teachers within their year group.
- The Arts follow long term and medium term plans that have been created by all members of staff and ensure the coverage of the Primary National Curriculum.
- Topics are taught in blocks and where ever possible cross curriculum links are made.
- Through our planning children are taught how to develop techniques, skills, use a range of materials with creativity, experimentation and increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design. They experience a range of music styles, singing for different purposes; play a range of instruments individually or as a group/class as well as developing musical composition and structures.
- Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons, often involving high-quality visual/auditory resources to aid understanding and broaden children’s experiences.
- Planning builds upon the learning and skill development of the previous years. Planning also aims to make cross curriculum links to give the children a deeper understanding of the topic and how it relates to the world and their lives.
- Teachers demonstrate how to use art and design equipment, and how to play a range of instruments. They find opportunities to develop children’s understanding further by accessing organisations that work with experts from the wider community who can come into school to work with the children.
- Children are offered a wide range of extra-curricular activities, visits, trips and visitors to complement and broaden the curriculum. These are purposeful and link with the knowledge being taught in class.
- Enrichment events, such as The Arts Open Afternoon, project days/weeks or class/key stage trips, allow all pupils to come off-timetable, to provide broader provision and the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills.
Art & Design – Informal Assessment Grid