Art

Intent

The Art curriculum at Cosby Primary School has immense value and is designed to promote each pupil’s personal and emotional development. Its flexibility of approach takes into account their individual experience and social background, as well as their cognitive development. Art at Cosby is concerned with the individual response to the local community, including inclusive projects such as participation in the ‘Yarn Bomb’ and Art exhibitions, as well as the response to the world around us and is influenced by the work of a diverse range of artists and craft makers from a variety of cultures throughout history, resulting in the development of each child’s creative expression and cultural awareness.

Art at Cosby is essentially a practical subject concerned with visual and tactile modes of expression in two- and three-dimensional form, particularly focusing on understanding and exploring diversity and difference within the wider community. It contributes towards developing visual perception and communicating self-expression. Using various methods of study, art will help pupils to develop a sense of identity through learning about how art has represented the world around them, as well as the historical and cultural development of artworks created by influential artists and craft makers. Examining primary sources (artworks, artefacts) and secondary sources (books, prints and videos) will introduce pupils to what is involved in interpreting and understanding two dimensional and three-dimensional art. Art education at Cosby, through making and knowing contributes to an individual’s intellectual, creative, aesthetic, social, emotional and physical development. It contributes to the development of the whole person by allowing for personal exploration and expression of feeling as well as acting as a vehicle for observing and interpreting the world around us.

Implementation

Our Art Curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression.

The teaching, learning and sequencing of the Art curriculum follows:

A two-year rolling programme that has been implemented to ensure coverage and progression in all knowledge relating to the different areas of Art.

The progression of knowledge is set out in order to build and develop the following:

• The work of Artists, Designers and Craftspeople
• Line, colour, shape, space and form
• The areas studied in art: sketching, painting, sculpture, printing and collage

Early Years: Art makes a significant contribution to the ELG objectives of developing a child’s creativity, imagination and observational skills through exploration of a range of materials and techniques to produce their artwork and talk about their designs, beginning to use the language of art, craft and design.

• Sketching and Drawing – Children use a range of materials to explore mark making, developing pencil control
• Painting – Knowledge of colour is developed and the correct colours to use in portraits
• Mouldable Materials – clay and soft dough is used to create a range of 3D forms
• Collage – The children explore a range of man–made and natural materials to create their art works
• Print – Natural and man-made materials are used to print repeated patterns

Key Stage 1: Knowledge is focused on recognising and naming primary colours; knowing the names of and how to make secondary colours. Children get the opportunity to experiment with a range of art materials and techniques, develop and share ideas, experiences or imagination. They evaluate their artworks to say whether like or dislike their work and discuss what they could do to improve.

• Sketching and Drawing – Children sketch from observation to create patterns found in nature
• Painting – Primary colours are blended using a restrictive palette to create impressions of fire and foliage
• Mouldable Materials – New moulding techniques are introduced to create finger pots and items for a fairy garden
• Collage – The children explore the work of an artist to create repeated symmetrical patterns using natural materials
• Print – Different printing techniques are used, including making a printing block and creating a background and fossils in a beach scene

Key Stage 2: Knowledge is focused on recognising complementary colours; tertiary colours, warm and cold colours, exploring graduating tone of colour, as well using the language of perspective to describe composition and atmosphere within artworks. Children further develop their ability to blend colour, create form and shape more accurately, using their imagination, observation and own experiences.

Years 3 and 4

• Sketching and Drawing – Sketching techniques, such as hatching and cross hatching are introduced to create a graduating tone
• Painting – Lighter and darker shades of colour are used to change tone, children learn about complimentary colours, as well as warm and cool tones
• Mouldable Materials – Clay and modelling clay are used to create animals and historical artefacts; children learn how to add appendages and begin to create detail in their sculptures
• Collage – The children look at the work of a photomontage artist to create their own artworks in a similar style
• Print – Different textures of the natural world are created to make a backdrop for a habitat

Years 5 and 6

• Sketching and Drawing – Sketching techniques are further developed, where children look at perspective to create space and depth
• Painting – Different shades of the same tone of colour are used to develop a graduation of light to dark within paintings of water
• Mouldable Materials – Modelling techniques are further developed, and new materials introduced to add more intricate detail and pattern to Ancient Greek earthenware
• Collage – The children use mixed media to create artworks of poppy fields, considering creating the impression of depth
• Print – More complex printing blocks are created to create symmetrical, natural patterns based on the work of an artist and designer

Lessons will develop long term memory by allowing for repetition of learning within the year and year on year. Key technical vocabulary is taught within each topic and reinforced throughout the year. 

SMSC and British values are threaded through the art curriculum to link experiences of artistic practises to their lives and explore their cultural capital.  

Impact

At Cosby Primary School, we have designed our Art curriculum with the impact that our children will:

• Be stimulated and interested in art, with resources and teaching necessary to offer a wide range of practical experiences.
• Develop confidence to produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.
• Use a range of materials and develop a range of techniques, becoming proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture, collage and print.
• Develop knowledge and skills through cross-curricular activities so as to see links and connections between other subjects in the curriculum
• Have opportunities for working individually, co-operatively and collaboratively.
• Develop a curiosity and interest about how art has developed from pre-history to the present day by asking perceptive questions and thinking critically.
• Evaluate and analyse creative works by a range of artists from different cultures, using the language of art, craft and design.
• Use different starting points, including observation, imagination and the work of artists to inspire their ideas and outcomes.
• Formulate appropriate questions, develop research skills and evaluate material to inform opinions.
• Become independent in thought and action enabling them to respond confidently to the demands of a rapidly changing world with flexibility and an open mind.
• Will retain prior-learning and explicitly make connections between what they have previously learned and what they are currently learning.
• Where applicable, children will have encountered or participated in high-quality visits/visitors to further appreciate their creative experience.