Art
Intent:
At London Meed, we value Art and Design, not only as an important part of our exciting and engaging curriculum, but also as a means of supporting the positive mental wellbeing and self-expression of all children in our school community. We aim to provide children with rich, wide ranging opportunities and experiences to help develop their creative and imaginative skills and practical and theoretical knowledge of art, craft and design; allowing all children to visually communicate their imagination and ideas successfully.
Children will be given the opportunity to experience and explore different materials in a range of creative and engaging ways. Skills will be continually built upon; creating and using sketchbooks to help record, develop and evaluate their ideas and master techniques.
Each year-group will study culturally significant artists from a range of diverse backgrounds; learning about their lives, artistic influences, discussing their significance and opinions on their artwork, in addition to making connections between artworks and across time periods. Children will be given the opportunity to reflect upon and apply this theoretical knowledge to create and develop art-work of their own.
In Art, we incorporate our core values (Bravery, Community, Curiosity, Resilience and Respect) to ensure that our children develop as life-long learners and responsible citizens. Through Quality First Teaching and having high expectations, we ensure all children (including disadvantaged and SEND) are accessing the curriculum by constantly reviewing and adapting teaching.
Implementation:
At London Meed, teachers ensure that pupils are taught the knowledge and skills required to meet the aims of the National Curriculum, whilst recognising that education extends beyond this. The Art and Design curriculum is carefully planned to be coherent and sequenced, enabling secure progression in knowledge, skills and understanding each year.
Through this progression, we value and celebrate each child’s individual achievement and personal development as they refine their techniques, including control and the use of materials. Pupils are encouraged to engage with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of a broad range of artistic techniques and media.
Teachers make purposeful use of opportunities within the local environment and wider community to enrich learning and create meaningful links. Pupils are also taught to understand how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and how they contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
As part of our ongoing teaching and learning, we celebrate achievement, recognise strengths, extend skillsets and plan for continued progression. Pupils are expected to use technical vocabulary accurately and to know, apply and understand the knowledge, skills and processes specified within the curriculum.
Children are supported to develop their inquiry skills and curiosity about the world around them, as well as their understanding of the impact of art and design on the world. They become increasingly confident in analysing their own work and in offering informed opinions about their own and others’ art. Through regular evaluation and refinement, pupils demonstrate resilience and perseverance, continually improving the quality of their work.
Impact:
All children in school can speak confidently about their art and design work and their skills. By the end of Year 6, the National Curriculum for Art and Design aims to ensure that all children: 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