Art & Design
Intent
At Fir Bank we value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. Art and Design provides the children with the opportunity to express their ideas and record their experiences, as well as exploring the work of others through a series of lessons which develop skills and knowledge progression. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shapes our history both locally and nationally, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
Implementation
The teaching and implementation of the Art and Design Curriculum at Fir Bank is based on the National Curriculum and linked to topics to ensure a well-structured approach to this creative subject. Each year group progresses with drawing and painting, alongside opportunities to develop other art skills such as mosaics, printing, sculptures and textiles.
Some of the artists that are studied and compared include Alice Tangerini, Romero Britto, Andy Warhol, Claude Monet and local artist Helen Bradley.
During Art Week every child contributes to a collaborative piece of art and creates an individual piece of artwork based on a whole school theme eg colour. Children also have the opportunity to join our after-school Art Club to further develop their skills and to promote a love for Art and Design.
Impact
Art and design is enjoyed across our school. Teachers have high expectations and quality evidence can be presented in a variety of ways.
Children are able to review their successes in achieving the lesson objectives and are actively encouraged to identify their own areas of development.
Ongoing assessments take place throughout the year so that teachers can use this information to inform future lessons; ensuring children are supported and challenged appropriately.
As children progress throughout school, they develop skills that will enable them to express themselves in a variety of different ways.
We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods;
- Learning walks and professional dialogue with teachers.
- Assessing children’s understanding of vocabulary before and after the ‘knowledge and skills’ have been taught.
- Images and videos of the children’s practical learning (books/displays)
- Interviewing children about their learning (pupil voice).
- Moderation staff meetings where books are scrutinised
- Opportunities for dialogue between teachers to discuss the learning and teaching in their class.