Art and Design

Art

Intent
At St John’s, we believe that every child is entitled to an art, craft and design education that allows them to develop and express their individuality, imagination and interests. It is essential that children are given the opportunity to communicate their own ideas in their own works of art using the knowledge and skills they have acquired through carefully constructed lessons that aim to engage, challenge, inspire and motivate. We have recognised the need to ensure that children acquire a strong foundation in the areas of drawing, painting and sculpture. By providing a high quality education that puts these areas at the heart of the learning, we will ensure that children develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to express their ideas in high quality pieces of work that they can feel proud of. Furthermore, it is important that children learn about the history and future of art; how it has shaped and reflected our culture and nation, and how it will continue to do so. Children will become aware of how they fit into this and the part they can play in contributing to the creativity and culture of our nation in the future.

Implementation 
Within the classroom, teachers will create a positive attitude to art, craft and design; encouraging imagination, celebrating individuality and reinforcing high expectations with regards to the belief that every child is capable of achieving the highest standards in their artwork. Art lessons will occur weekly, every other short term. Weekly lessons ensure opportunities for spaced retrieval, therefore committing more of their learning to their long-term memory. Planning for each of the 3 terms that art is studied will be devoted to the area of Drawing, Painting or Sculpture. This cycle will be revisited the following year to allow for the building and development of skills in each area for each year group with a different focus artist, craftsperson or designer. A theme day of Craft and Design will ensure that the full breadth of the curriculum is covered.

All teachers will:

• Revisit previous art learning on a regular basis to enable the retention of knowledge, skills and vocabulary which will subsequently allow children to confidently build on this as they progress through the school. This may occur in any subject where the learning is relevant.
• Plan to build on children’s existing knowledge and skills through the provision of engaging lessons with: - direct teaching of new knowledge and vocabulary - modelling of new skills and techniques - questioning and discussion to challenge and inspire further ideas and creativity - time to practice and refine existing and new skills and techniques - opportunities to explore local, national and international artists, craftspeople and designers - use of high quality resources to support learning
• Encourage and support children to: - be imaginative and individual - plan, develop and produce their own piece of artwork - select appropriate tools and equipment, and be able to use them accurately and safely - see how art shapes and reflects our culture and nation, and how they can contribute to the future - discuss, compare and express opinions on their own work and that of artists, craftspeople and designers they have studied
• Regularly assess children’s knowledge and skills through observation, discussion and outcomes. Identification of any gaps in learning will be swiftly targeted and addressed in order to stop any child falling behind.

Impact
Children are assessed through observation and discussion of not only the skills and techniques they are using, but also the processes they are working through as they produce their work. Outcomes are assessed for evidence of skills and techniques used at an age appropriate level. These are monitored and recorded on a central system so that teachers can look for progression between years.