Art

Intent

At Marlcliffe, we believe that all children should be given the opportunity to be inspired by great artists and to learn the skills they need to express themselves creatively. Art provides a different route into learning for many children and we want all of our children to succeed. Helping our children develop creativity is a valuable skill for life and will help promote a lifelong love of learning. Our curriculum has been planned and structured so there is a clear progression of skills, knowledge and understanding. Children will gain practical experience through the areas of drawing, painting, sculpture, printing and textiles. Opportunities to develop and apply artistic skills will be given using a variety of media. However, the process of thinking through making is also valued. Children have time to explore ideas and will be taught the correct vocabulary to describe, respond, evaluate and criticise their own work and that of the artist they are studying. At Marlcliffe we believe art is essential to individuals forming a sense of self and it is important to give future creatives and thinkers the environment to flourish.

Implementation

Our approach to art teaches the National curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. At Marlcliffe, we use an accredited scheme called AccessArt. This scheme works to inspire and enable high quality visual arts teaching, learning and practice.

The children’s introduction to art is linked to the Early Years specific area of expressive arts and design. Through carefully planned continuous provision children have regular opportunities to engage with a range of media to support imagination and artistic creativity. By encouraging the characteristics of learning through play children will later approach art with curiosity and a willingness to explore materials. Practising gross and fine motor skills in the early years provides a foundation for the physical skills that will help children manipulate different media.

In Key Stage 1 and 2 each year group focuses on Art over a half term block once a term, so they create three projects per year. Running through these projects children will learn how to use the concepts of art to enhance their artwork. These concepts are shape and form, colour and tone, texture, proportion, dimension and composition. Each year children will build on previously learnt drawing and painting skills, controlling the use of line, texture and colour to greater effect. At Marlcliffe, we run on a two-yearly curriculum cycle. Within each cycle, the children will be taught a range of different skills that will build upon their previous knowledge. This is so that children will leave Marlcliffe Primary school having experienced a broad range of artistic areas but also have the chance to revisit and improve the skills specific to those areas. Teachers use the art progression document to see clearly the skills developed in the previous years in addition to the skills needed to access the following years learning. This helps teachers plan units of work that provide new artistic challenges at the appropriate level of development. To support all learners, including those with SEND or additional needs, an aspirational approach is one of our key curriculum drivers to ensure all pupils can access learning. Tasks are scaffolded by the class teacher to meet all pupil’s needs. Within the endpoints for each unit of work, critical content has been identified. This outlines the key understanding that all children, regardless of their learning needs/barriers, are to gain by the end of the unit. Children with SEND will be particularly supported to understand this critical content, enabling them to prepare for subsequent learning in the subject.

The children’s learning can be recorded in a variety of ways. Children have individual sketch books which show the development of skills and are followed up by feedback from their teachers. Final pieces are often displayed or recorded as photos. Rapid recaps at the start of each lesson support children remembering and applying what they have already learnt so our children know more and remember more. Oracy is developed through talk tasks and critique of art work. Sentence stems including art specific vocabulary help children express their thoughts and articulate their ideas. Assessment of Art is ongoing within lessons: through observation of learning, engagement in discussions, work in books and regular retrieval activities such as low-stakes quizzes. This supports teachers in making an overall judgement of children's attainment against the endpoints for each unit.

Classroom and corridor displays provide opportunities for artwork to be celebrated. At some point throughout the school year, parents and carers will be invited into school to view an exhibition showcasing the children’s learning of a particular theme. This will include several examples of the children’s art work. Extra-curricular art opportunities are available to the children in KS2 which enhance the children’s enthusiasm for the subject. Regardless of background, ability and additional needs, children at Marlcliffe have the chance to become successful artists. A range of tools are available to differentiate according to children’s fine motor development. A caring environment that encourages experimentation helps to reduce the fear of making mistakes. Art by its nature celebrates self-expression in whatever form that takes and teachers use this to ensure that all children can gain confidence in their artistic abilities.

Impact

We endeavour that pupils are able to articulate and demonstrate that they have developed the art skills and knowledge to become creative and innovative artists, and that this has encouraged and enabled them to invent and create their own works of art. The children will be enthusiastic about taking part in art lessons and creative activities. The impact of the art curriculum will ensure that children are made aware of using their own ideas, the processes involved in different art concepts and gathering ideas in order to arrive at a final piece. Through subject enquiries throughout the year, the teaching of art will be careful monitored to ensure that the subject is being taught effectively. Pupil voice, planning and book scrutinies as well learning walks will provide a bank of evidence that will inform the subject leaders of successes and areas for development within the subject. Overall, we aim for the teaching of art encourage and enhance social interaction, resilience, confidence and creative thinking.