Art & Design

Introduction

• Progression of Art and Design including alignment with the National Curriculum, substantive concepts, big ideas and questions as well as Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary.

We have deliberately built our Art and Design curriculum around the principles of evidence-led practice. This is to ensure that pupils are equipped to successfully think, work and communicate like an artist. Unapologetically ambitious, our art curriculum focuses on excellence in this subject through a myriad of media and incredible artists. Our intention is unmissable; exceptional teacher instruction inspires pupils to acquire knowledge, as an artist, and enable them to skilfully attempt and apply their understanding. It is our intention that through studying Art and Design, pupils become more expert as they progress through the curriculum, accumulating, connecting and making sense of the rich substantive and disciplinary knowledge:

Shape Line Colour Value Form Texture Space

Alongside this practical knowledge, our pupils will also be exposed to a diverse array of inspirational artists from a range of different genres, artistic movements, cultural traditions and eras in time. Children will acquire an understanding of art history and the significance of their focal artist for each unit. This theoretical awareness will provide them with contextual relevance of art and inspire them to draw upon their own experiences to produce high-quality pieces with a clear rationale.

As part of our Art and Design Curriculum, we aim to equip children with secure practical and theoretical knowledge, so they can interact with art itself as a discipline. Children will be encouraged to discuss, debate, critique and consider the subjective value of various pieces of art including their own, their peers as well as the work of celebrated artists. Our pupils will explore the dynamic impact art has had throughout time, to make sense of what art is whilst overall enriching their own appreciation of the subject.

We implement our intent using CUSP Art and Design. A guiding principle of CUSP Art and Design is that each study draws upon prior learning. For example, in the EYFS, pupils may learn to create 2D artwork using collage materials and fabric. This is revisited and positioned so that new and potentially abstract content in Year 1, such as form and texture is related to what children already know. This makes it easier to cognitively process. This helps to accelerate new learning as children integrate prior understanding.

Learning Sequences

We organise intended learning into modules. These group the knowledge, skills and understanding that we want children to remember, do and use.

Each module aims to activate and build upon prior learning, including from the early years, to ensure better cognition and retention. It includes contextual reference materials, vocabulary modules focusing on language of emotion, explanatory videos and annotated exemplifications. Teacher videos complement the content in each module and provide clear instruction about art techniques and methods. The exemplifications can be used to support assessment of pupil outcomes and to support teachers in developing their own subject knowledge. Teachers are also provided with a list of materials and resources that they will need to teach each module.

Central to the learning modules are activities designed to develop pupils’ oracy and vocabulary skills to enable them to use artistic language meaningfully when talking about their work and the work of others. Along with this, connections to other subject areas are listed as are the links that are made, in the lesson sequences, to works of literature. Specific books and illustrators are recommended and are used as a stimulus for artwork and provide examples of artistic techniques and styles. Background information is provided about the specific artists studied in the block. This information gives teachers an insight into where the artist sits in art history and their influences.

An overview of the core content provides information about the skills covered across the term in each year group. This enables teachers to see the progression of skills covered within each aspect of art.

• CHALLENGE Teachers get the children to interrogate their learning - summarise, explain, compare and contrast. Tools are built into routines to reduce overload and allow for hard thinking. These can be adapted for children based on their individual needs

SEND Learners

Careers and meaningful opportunities

At Sandringham Primary we provide career links and meaningful opportunities throughout each subject within the curriculum. Our learners benefit from: class discussions, visits from different professionals, visits, webinars and utilising our local expertise.

• Pupil Book Studies help to evaluate curriculum structures, teaching methods, pupil participation and response through a dialogic model.

• Does learning ‘travel’ with pupils and can they deliberately reuse it in more sophisticated contexts?

• The exemplifications demonstrate the expected standard against which teachers can assess pupils’ work.

The best form of assessment in art is in-action, while pupils are working. This helps us to understand pupils’ development as artists, rather than their ability to produce a prescribed end outcome. By encouraging pupils to articulate their thinking and reflections, we can understand which aspects of artistic development they may require additional teaching in and reshape teaching to support this. We use summative assessment is ‘to provide an accurate shared meaning without becoming the model for every classroom activity’ (Christodolou, 2017). If our curriculum is effective, it will lead to improvements in summative assessments over time. Teacher assessment judgements are against an agreed assessment model (the curriculum). We make summative judgements annually. Teachers record summative judgements on OTrack.

Pupil book study is used as a method to quality assure our curriculum by talking to the children and looking in pupils’ books. We do this after content has been taught to see the extent to which pupils are knowing more, remembering more and able to do more. In preparation, we review the planned content, knowledge and vocabulary, so that conversations with pupils are meaningful and focused on what has been taught. When looking at books, we look at the content and knowledge, teaching sequence and vocabulary. We also consider pupils’ participation and consider the explanations and models used, the tasks the pupils are asked to do, the ability to answer carefully selected questions and retrieve information and the impact of written feedback. We ask careful questions that probe their knowledge, understanding and skills.

The Subject Leader undertakes a range of activities to understand what the curriculum looks like across the school and how well pupils know more, remember more and can do more as a result. In addition to the above tools, they use learning walks, planning reviews and book looks. They use their findings to support teachers to improve how they implement subjects and to make recommendations about the suitability of the intent for their subject. The Subject Leader formally reports on impact of the curriculum termly to the Curriculum Leader, Principal and Governors.

• Longer during the attempt phase to secure their understanding or to allow more time to practice the practical technique.

Progression Overview

In drawing, children will be exposed to a variety of different drawing utensils such as pastels, pencils, pen, chalk and crayons. They will be encouraged to experiment making different marks on a range of surfaces and explain how they can create imaginative patterns. Another focus will be to strengthen fine motor skills and to build an element of control when drawing. Children will be taught how to hold a pencil, or other drawing utensil, correctly to make specific markings.

When exploring painting, Children will be introduced to the primary colours and are encouraged to verbalise these when using them in provision. Children will have the opportunity to play with paint which will include the chance to mix colours to make ‘new’ colours (secondary). Once again, they will use a range of tools to create different effects or markings with paints including bubbles, straws, brushes, sponges as well as natural objects like pinecones or sticks. Children will start to understand even brushstrokes and use painting utensils with increasing control.

When learning about printing, children will be creating their own prints of their hands and then will explore using different objects dipped in paint to create different markings The children will then have to decide which object they would like to use for a desired effect to create a piece of artwork (firework art). In addition, they will explore the concept of stencilling to create artwork inspired by woodland creatures and footprints.

In textiles, the core focus is to experiment with a variety of materials and textures including wool, paper, tissue paper, string, fabric and sequins to name a few. These will be combined with their learning of collage. Children will be encouraged to explore the different materials by cutting, scrunching or tearing to create an overall inspired image.

In their exploration of sculpturing/3D modelling, pupils will be given the chance to experiment with the malleability of materials such as play dough or plasticine and moulding into desired shapes. Children will explore creating various markings using a range of objects such pasta, rice or stamps. Children will use clay to create their own sculptures and consider how to shape the materials using rolling pins or their hands and choose their own tools to decorate for a desired effect.

In drawing, children begin by exploring the work of Albert Durer, and are introduced to a range of drawing tools, such as charcoal, pencil, chalk and pastel. They are taught to make basic marks and about how changing the pressure and orientation of these marks can create different textures. They progress to the work of Beth Krommes (Waves) where they use a range of marks to represent mood and movement. They start to explore shape and texture through expressive mark making in response to a piece of music and descriptive language.

When painting, pupils begin by studying the work of Piet Mondrian, making thick and thin paint marks on a range of surfaces They use primary colours and the dip, dip dab method of painting. They progress to work by Kandinsky, responding to music as they explore line, colour and space. They use traditional painting tools as well as making their own to manipulate the paint they work with.

Pupils explore the marks that can be made by printing with a range of objects. They are taught the techniques of stencilling and relief printing. They combine these printing techniques to create a final piece, inspired by the work of the contemporary artist Karen Lederer. Pupils build on their acquired printing skills to make prints using natural objects. They learn how to make a collagraph printing block before combining printing techniques to create repeated patterns, inspired by the work of William Morris.

In their exploration of textiles, pupils draw inspiration from Anne Kelley, before being given the opportunity to explore a range of materials, including fabric, oil crayons, chalk and paint, to create pieces of art. They use natural and man-made fibres, combining colours and textures. Pupils then study work by Katie Vernon to help them create abstract collage and textile images using a range of materials. They also make reconstructed pictures using selected images from magazines and prepared papers.

Pupils learn how to smooth a form out of clay, explore a range of materials to understand the importance of weight and balance in construction and they use recycled materials to create their own sculpture inspired by The Enchanted Owl by Kenojuak Ashevak. They also take inspiration from the art of the indigenous people of Australia, creating three dimensional forms decorated with dot patterns.

Pupils learn about using collage techniques to create a layered surface for their artwork, looking at Castle and Sun by Paul Klee. They also use muted colours to soften an image, and use lines as well as pattern to suggest something is there. Finally, pupils have the opportunity to reflect on the processes they have learnt throughout KS1. In particular, they will look at drawing and collage techniques and skills from prior learning, refine and improve their skills, then choose and apply techniques to create work that will form part of a whole school collaborative piece.

Pupils refine their drawing skills, focusing on lines and detail, selecting drawing materials based on their understanding of the marks that can be made. They use a viewfinder to select focal points.

Children extend the variety of painting techniques, including tonking and sgraffito, exploring how to combine these to create texture and shape. They create negative space using paint and explore the contrast between foreground and background. They move on to develop the techniques of overpainting and wet on wet, as well as how to make tertiary colours in response to the work of artists. Finally, they use their knowledge of how to make tints and tones to create ombre effects.

Children create their own printing blocks and experiment printing on different surfaces and to create repeat geometric patterns.

When studying textiles, pupils explore colour, texture and pattern by combining textiles and collage. They look at the work of artist Faith Ringgold to create a collaborative story quilt. They use shape and colour to create the illusion of movement.

Pupils combine form and texture to build relief images and then create 3D insect sculptures, taking inspiration from Louise Bourgeois. They explore proportion and scale by creating images of the human form.

When painting, pupils explore a range of effects which can be achieved using watercolours. They create the illusion of depth and represent the translucent qualities of water.

Techniques are expanded as pupils learn how to use reduction printing to create landscape scenes. Pupils develop this further to create negative and positive spaces by repeating the same image.

Pupils take inspiration from natural objects to create textile art, and combine collage and appliqué techniques to create work that depicts textured surfaces. They use specialist tools and resist processes such as batik to create colourful works of art.

Sculpture is explored by looking at the shape and form of 3 D objects. Pupils use papier mâché as well as developing skills to manipulate clay. They create biomorphic forms using stiffening agents and applying their knowledge of complementary and analogous colours. Referring to the work of Dale Chihuly, they construct mixed media sculptures.