At Ark Oval, Art and Design is taught from EYFS through to year 6 in a way that not only encourages creativity but also inspires, engages and challenges pupils. Our curriculum ensures that children are equipped to explore, create and develop their ideas with confidence. Our aim is that all children will leave us with a love and appreciation of art that will last a lifetime.
Our Art and Design curriculum is carefully mapped out to ensure a clear progression of skills and knowledge across the school, and this is built upon each year. Through the use of sketchbooks and high quality planning our curriculum ensures that all pupils have the opportunity to:
- 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
Each year group has a pencil-based unit which progresses in expectations and understanding. In years 1, 3 and 5 this is based around self-portraits and in the other year groups, pupils learn to draw still life, landscapes and cityscapes (including perspective). Each year group has at least one paint-based unit, in years 2, 4 and 6 these are based around self-portraits in the style of an artist and in the other units, pupils look at colour theory and painting in the style of other significant artists. These artists and art history are taught chronologically.
Pupils will experience printing, collage and 3D work at three points during their primary school journey - each unit building in expectations and understanding. Textiles is taught within the textiles Design and Technology units. At points, pupils will explore the work of craft makers and designers.
We believe that Art and Design is a subject of its own and so links are not made to other areas of the curriculum unless these links are of benefit to both subject areas. Throughout their journey, pupils will encounter various links to the humanities subjects and deepen their understanding of the historical and cultural development of art forms.
The formal elements of Art and Design have been planned progressively across all units and the expectation is that pupils understand what these are.