Art and Design
"A new command I give you: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another," (John 13:34).
Inspired by Jesus’ example, the Trent school community aims to
serve one another in love.
We show kindness to others because God has shown us great kindness.
We live thankful lives because every good thing comes from God.
And we persevere, not giving up, because God is our helper.
God is creative and made our wonderful world.
God created us to be in His image, and therefore creative too.
We give thanks to God for providing us with the beauty of the world around us, and inspiring us to create from looking out into His world. We also thank God for giving us the ability to look within ourselves, and give expression and meaning to our thoughts, feelings and relationships.
Art requires perseverance and patience; we trust in God’s strength and help when we are challenged. As a school community, we show kindness to ourselves and others through encouragement and celebration of our artwork. All art is unique and we celebrate our individuality and expression through it, as well as that of artists throughout time and around the world
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Intended Curriculum
At Trent Primary School, we believe that Art and Design should be creative, exciting and fully inclusive to every child.
Our aims are to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for Art and Design, and provide a broad and balanced curriculum.
We aim to develop a cross-curricular approach to the use of Art and Design, based on a ‘project’ and ‘big question’ where enquiry-based learning stems from.
We strive to ensure the progressive development of knowledge and skills across the year groups, building on the fantastic opportunities they have for creativity in EYFS.
Art and Design teaching at Trent Primary School instils an appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts. Art and Design stimulates imagination and creativity; involving children in a range of visual, tactile and sensory experiences. We aim to enable children to observe and record from first-hand experience and from their imagination, and these experiences enable them to communicate what they see, think and feel through the use of the elements of colour, texture, form and pattern. Art and Design promotes careful observation and an appreciation of the world around us. It also promotes a sense of well-being and enjoyment in our pupils, which we want to nurture.
We aim to foster an enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts and develop the children’s knowledge of significant artists, craftspeople and designers from a range of times and backgrounds. Children explore ideas and meanings through studying the work of artists and designers, analysing works using the language of Art and Design. Through learning about the roles and functions of Art and Design, they can explore the impact it has had on contemporary life and on different periods and cultures. We want to prepare children for an increasingly visual, media-rich future and to develop culturally-informed opinions about artwork and things they see around them.
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With this in mind, we have established a school curriculum plan for Art and Design as an entitlement for all pupils that is:
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Aspirational in the progression of skills and techniques that pupils learn as they progress through the school - such aspirations are clearly identifiable in the progressive and increasingly challenging skills-based objectives covered. As pupils progress through school, they should also begin to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of Art and Design. They should also know how Art and Design both reflect and shape history and culture across the world, including multifarious cultures and timespans. We want children to be able to evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design. We want children to know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms;
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Creative and inspirational. We want children to produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences. We aim to foster creativity and innovation across the school, opening children’s eyes to the possibilities of their own creativity and ideas;
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Skill-based, with opportunities to become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques;
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Built upon, with continuity, the provision for the Art and Design established in the Early Years Foundation Stage;
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Inclusive in terms of delivering the same curriculum to all of our pupils irrespective of specific learning needs or disabilities and differentiating where necessary through, for example, in class support, providing different learning environments, alternative learning activities and assessment outcomes.
Curriculum Delivery
At Trent, we implement a ‘creativity-led, skills based’ approach to learning and teaching in Art and Design which develops our pupils as creative and inspired learners.
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Our learning and teaching in Art and Design is creative and hands-on, allowing opportunities for pupils to work independently, in pairs and in groups of various sizes both inside and outside of the classroom. Pupils are given opportunities to become competent in a wide range of styles of art, craft and design, including but not limited to painting, drawing, sculpture, digital artwork and photography.
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Each learning objective for an Art and Design lesson is skills-based and links to the wider project across the curriculum; objectives and anticipated outcomes are clear, but not limiting, as we want to give children the opportunity to challenge and explore. Skills are practised and developed through the use of sketchbooks and preparatory studies. In KS2, studies and skill-rehearsals are placed in sketchbooks so pupils are given opportunities to develop their abilities away from the potential ‘pressure’ of a final piece. Pupils are able to see their own progress by reflecting on their sketchbooks across a lesson, a project, or the academic year. In KS1, pupils are given lots of opportunities to practise their skills in a variety of formats and sizes.
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Pupils examine and analyse the work of famous artists, craftspeople and designers linked to their project. Pupils have the opportunity to ask questions about famous artists and their artwork. Pupils explore a range of artwork using the language of Art and Design, including learning which ‘art movements’ and historical contexts artists are situated in. Pupils are also offered the opportunity to respond to artists using their own language including orally, in written contexts and through their own artistic responses.
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We provide varied and differentiated ways for pupils to record the outcomes of their work. Prior learning is revisited to enable children to make links to previous learning. The curriculum has been carefully planned to enable children to build upon their skills and knowledge year on year.
Impact
Each Art and Design lesson has a clear objective and set outcomes for pupils in terms of a skills acquisition. We recognise and encourage that children may go beyond or outside of our set learning intentions, and creativity is at the forefront of our teaching. Lessons are differentiated to ensure all children are challenged, included and engaged.
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We ensure that when assessing pupils, evidence is drawn from a wide range of sources to inform the process, including: interaction with pupils during discussions and related questioning; day-to-day observations; the pupils’ artwork and sketchbooks; and pupils’ written responses and evaluations.
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At the end of each year, we make a summative judgement about the achievement of each pupil. At this point teachers decide upon a ‘best fit’ judgement as to whether the pupil has achieved and embedded the expected learning goals, exceeded expectations or is still working towards the goals. These decisions are based on the professional knowledge and judgement that teachers possess about the progress of each pupil, developed over the previous three terms, which allows an informed and holistic judgement of attainment to be made. Achievement against the learning goals for Art and Design at the end of the year is used as the basis of reporting progress to parents.