Intention

We aim to provide quality Art and Design opportunities both within and beyond curriculum time which provide children with inspiration and the confidence to experiment and invent their own works of art. We aim to give pupils the opportunity to develop their ability, nurture their talents and interests, express their ideas and thoughts about the world, as well as learning about art and artists across cultures and throughout history.

Children will explore the seven formal elements of art (colour, form, line, pattern, shape, texture and tone) across their learning. They will explore these elements through units of work looking at drawing; painting and mixed media; sculpture and 3D design; and craft and design. They will develop an understanding of a range of different artist’s work from a variety of art movements and cultures. Through this, they will be able to express thoughts and feelings about artwork and take inspiration for their own work throughout school and into their later lives.

We are using the Kapow Primary condensed scheme of work, enabling pupils to meet the end of key stage attainment targets outlined in the national curriculum.  The aims of the scheme align with those in the national curriculum. 

Implementation

Across each year, children will cover four core areas of learning: drawing; painting and mixed media; sculpture and 3D design; and craft and design. Each unit covers five strands: generating ideas, using sketchbooks, making skills including formal elements, knowledge of artists and evaluating and analysing.

Our curriculum follows the spiral curriculum model where previous skills and knowledge are returned to and built upon with increasing complexity. Each unit is sequential, allowing children to build their skills and knowledge and apply to them to a range of outcomes. The formal elements, a key part of the national curriculum, are also woven throughout the units and progress year on year.

Lessons always have a practical element and encourage experimental and exploratory learning with pupils using sketchbooks to document their ideas. Throughout their learning they will have access to a wide variety of materials and medium to complete their work and as they progress through the school be encouraged to have more independence over which tools and techniques they choose to use.

Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils and to give opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning as required. Pupil videos from Kapow allow all children to visually see tasks they are being asked to complete.

Each unit of lessons on Kapow includes multiple teacher videos to help develop subject knowledge and provide ongoing CPD where necessary, aiding teachers to further work on their own skills and understanding. Following the condensed scheme from Kapow for Art alongside Design and Technology, each year group will cover 18 lessons across the year. Art and DT units are timetabled so that they alternate each term.

Impact

The Kapow curriculum for art is designed in such a way that children are involved in the evaluation, dialogue and decision making about the quality of their outcomes and the improvements they need to make. By taking part in regular discussions and decision-making processes, children will not only know facts and key information about art, but they will be able to talk confidently about their own learning journey, have higher metacognitive skills and have a growing understanding of how to improve.

There will be both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Each Kapow lesson includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against the learning objectives. Termly assessments will be recorded by teachers on Arbor. Each unit of work gives children the opportunity to explore skills and make their own pieces of artwork and of record of this journey will be made within sketchbooks. Lessons that are practical or final pieces of work can be photographed and evidenced in sketchbooks or placed on the Google Drive.

It is our expectation that pupils should leave primary school equipped with a range of techniques and the confidence and creativity to form a strong foundation for their Art and design learning at Key Stage 3 and beyond.

We expect that children will

• Produce creative work, exploring and recording their ideas and experiences.
• Be proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.
• Evaluate and analyse creative works using subject-specific language.
• Know about great artists and the historical and cultural development of their art.
• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the national curriculum for Art and design.