ART  

“Art has the role in education of helping children to become like themselves instead of more like everyone else”

-Sydney Gurewwitz Clemens-

Intent

At The Highway Primary School, we recognise that Art and Design stimulates creativity and imagination. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a special way of understanding and responding to the world. It enables all children to communicate what they see, feel and think through the use of colour, texture, form, pattern and different materials and processes.

We have designed a rich and aspirational Art and Design curriculum which provides a wide range of cultural capital. We encourage children to explore ideas and meanings through the work of a diverse range of artists and designers. Through learning about the roles and functions of art, they can explore the impact it has had on contemporary life. Children will know art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our diverse nation.  We believe the appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts enriches all our lives and by the time our children leave The Highway Primary School they will have established a life-long passion about the arts.

Implementation

At The Highway, the children begin their artistic journey in Reception through the Expressive Arts and Design area of learning. Children then go on to develop artistic skills each year building on their prior knowledge in the following areas: drawing, painting, printing, textiles, clay, 3D and ICT. Art is taught both discreetly and throughout other areas of the National Curriculum making links to areas such as history. Children are taught about historical and cultural development, learning about significant artists and designers. As artists, the children have opportunities to create, both individually and collaboratively, works of art, explore ideas and evaluate creative works using the language of art and design.   The children will be resilient learners who overcome barriers and understand their own strengths and areas for development. They will be able to critique their own work as an artist because they know how to be successful.

Impact

Art and design processes are documented in the children’s sketchbooks and progress is demonstrated through regularly reviewing and analysing children’s work to ensure that progression of knowledge and skills is taking place.  

Children will:

• have learned, improved and embedded a range of artistic skills. 
• have an awareness of a broad range of artists and craftspeople, and be able to consider and discuss the artworks they come across. 
• be confident to explore, experiment and take risks, placing value on the process and journey that they take, not just on the finished product. 
• have found and enjoyed a creative outlet – a means of self-expression and enjoyment.

This will be evident through pupil voice, evidence of knowledge and skills and the monitoring of the ambition behind the curriculum.