Art

Subject Leads: Miss L Thelwell and Mrs E Bennett

Art Intent

At Leasowes, we aim to embody our artists with the highest form of creativity, allowing them to think critically about their artwork and develop a more rigorous understanding of skills, techniques and the visual elements of art. Our intention is for children to become proficient in the varying techniques by being analytical and evaluating their own experiences. We want children to be able to appraise the work of significant individuals and use the knowledge to inspire their own creativity. During their time at Leasowes, children are exposed to a diverse range of artists and their styles to ensure that their learning experiences and opportunities are balanced and progressive year-on-year. It is our view that the golden thread of art is drawing which is underpinned by the seven elements of art. It is vital that children understand the connection between specific elements and the areas within drawing.

Art Curriculum Design

To ensure that our curriculum is rigorous and balanced, we adhere to the four overarching aims of the National Curriculum:

• Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
• Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
• Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
• Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

Art and Design is a foundation subject of the National Curriculum which we teach through a knowledge and skills-based approach. This begins in EYFS and is developed through Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The NC states that all primary school children should develop three skilled areas in depth: drawing, painting and sculpting. As per our subject overview, each year group has three art units per academic year which focus on one or more of the main art skills or techniques. As our curriculum at Leasowes is ambitious, we exceed this by providing children with the opportunity to explore other skills such as collage and printing which again are underpinned by the seven elements of Art and prepare our students for the expectations at KS3.

By the end of their time at Leasowes, children will have studied a range of artists of significant impact from different cultures and different time periods within both British and worldwide history. Each Art unit begins with a focus artist where children develop an understanding of the skills and techniques that their specific artist/s have used within their pieces. The artists studied are reflective of diversity as they represent different genders, race, cultures and social differences.

We provide a range of multi-modal and memorable learning experiences to enhance teaching and learning in Art, such as our whole school approach to our classroom Art galleries. A whole school display showcases the progression of art skills across the curriculum for all visitors and allows children the opportunity to see the next steps in their personal art journeys. Our curriculum goes above and beyond the NC requirements as LKS2 take part in an educational visit to the ‘New Art Gallery Walsall’ during the Autumn terms to enrich their understanding of artists through history and in the local vicinity. Both Year 3 and Year 4 partake in an artist workshop linked to their future learning of skills.

We believe that our curriculum and the ambitious experiences that we provide for our children will mean that they will be well-equipped with the desire and passion to continue their journey as an artist as they continue through further education and later life. Aspiring artists will be rooted in reading and will continue their research of great artists who will be their inspiration for future study. They will be able to appraise art, evaluate and offer their own personal opinion. Children will demonstrate levels of resilience as they build up to create masterpieces and understand that mistakes within art are opportunities to learn, develop further and in some cases become part of the piece.