Art and Design
‘Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able 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 our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.’
The National Curriculum
Art is a fantastic way for all children of all ages to express themselves, be creative and to experiment. At Roundhay St John’s, art and design is valued highly and is integrated into all aspects of children’s learning. As a school, we enjoy exploring our creativity and celebrate the art that is created through displays, assemblies, whole school projects and classroom visits. It supports the importance that we place on developing a growth mindset that will allow our children ‘To live life in all its’ fullness’
Intent
At Roundhay St John’s our art curriculum has been developed to capture the children’s curiosity and fuel their motivation to learn. It is intended to equip all pupils with a deep understanding and passion to enable them to think creatively and produce their own art work using skills and techniques through experimental learning. We introduce children to artists, makers and designers often linked to our learning journeys. It is intended that pupils are provided with opportunities for reflection and evaluation that enables them to gain confidence in taking control of their learning, and aspire to develop skills.
Implementation
We follow the National curriculum and support all children to achieve their best through the variety of opportunities we provide. We recognise the value that art has to enrich and support the learning of our SEND pupils and equally endeavour to provide open ended experiences that allow children to explore their ideas to their fullest. This can take place through individual experimentation in sketchbooks, creativity linked to learning journeys, standalone art projects, whole school collaborations or national opportunities. Some lovely whole school projects have included an entrance full of poppies for remembrance day, mixed media crosses as an exploration of the symbol of the cross in Christianity, recycled rainbow weaving during lockdown and ‘If I were a flower’, a Pop Art celebration of the many unique individuals who make up our school community. Recent national involvement was in a Royal Mail stamp design competition to celebrate our lockdown heroes and a comic art project with the British museum.
All pupils throughout school have regular art and design lessons and each year group builds on the knowledge and skills taught in previous years. Vocabulary and technique is always a focus and from EYFS the children are taught to use this language and develop their skills to use the equipment confidently. Children are encouraged to be able to express an opinion of their own work and that of others.
Impact
We see the impact of our curriculum in the outcomes of every lesson. We know children learn more and remember more as they progress through school as the curriculum revisits key knowledge and skills. The children keep a folder of their work from the summer term in Reception to Year 6 which celebrates the progress they are making. For example, projects such as self-portraits are revisited using increasingly progressive ideas or media as the children progress through school. Our school is a joyful environment with many examples of children sharing their creativity through classroom and corridor displays.
