Art Curriculum

At Whitchurch, we place an important emphasis upon our pupils’ creative and emotional development. Art makes a major contribution to these aspects of education as well as to the spiritual and cultural development of pupils.

We enable pupils to become involved in, appreciate and enjoy the visual arts and how it can enrich their personal lives. They learn the part that art and design plays in their own and others’ lives, in contemporary life and in different times and cultures. Art at Whitchurch primary school gives children a media in which to express themselves.

We aim to teach art as an individual subject making links to cross curricular topics where appropriate.

Aims

To stimulate pupils’ creativity and imagination.
To provide visual, tactile and sensory experiences for all pupils.
To provide materials and experiences for the children to use colour, form, texture, pattern and different materials and processes.
To combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetics, social and environmental issues, and functions.
To know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.
To enable pupils to develop an understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts.
To produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.
To become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.

Objectives

At KS1, children will learn how to develop their creativity and imagination by exploring materials and processes. They will learn about art and design in their environment and about significant artists.

They will be taught to begin to understand colour, shape, space, pattern and texture and use them to represent their feelings.

They will be taught to:

Understand how to use a variety of materials and mediums creatively to represent objects, surroundings or feelings and to design and make products.
Explore colour, shape and form through self- portraits.
Learn how to use materials for sculptural form, such as collage.
Look at buildings and create pattern and texture from observations and other resources.
Use events in their lives to represent by photography or collage.
to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination
to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space
about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.

In KS2, the children will develop their creative skills through more complex activities. They will build on their skills and improve their control of materials, tools and techniques.

They will learn to evaluate and develop a critical awareness of the roles and purposes of art and design through history and in different cultures.

They will be taught to:

Explore relationships using photographs and portraits and look at the work of artists.
Look at how to use pattern, texture, line and form in a variety of mediums.
Explore atmosphere and how to represent feelings.
Develop observational skills through representing still life.
Build on skills gained in KS1 and develop knowledge and understanding of colour, tone and composition.
Create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas.
Improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials (e.g. pencil, charcoal, paint, clay).
Think about great artists, architects and designers in history.

In both Key stages, pupils will develop their knowledge, understanding and skills through:

Exploring and developing ideas.
Investigating and making art, craft and design.
Evaluating and developing work.
Understanding how visual and tactile elements can be combined and organised for different purposes.