Art & Design
ART & DESIGN
Intent:
St John’s School believes that every child should have the right to a curriculum that explores creativity and encourages originality. Our curriculum is designed to deliver a high-quality Art education that engages, inspires and challenges all pupils. During Art sessions, we concentrate on developing children’s ability to create images, experiment with a wide range of different media to understand their potential and use Art as a medium to give expression of their world. Our Art curriculum will develop children’s critical abilities and understanding of their own and others’ cultural heritages through studying a diverse range of male and female artists.
We believe that Art can be a platform for many other subjects, allowing all children to access the curriculum. We make clear links between Art and subjects such as English, RE, Geography and History, as alternative ways for children to express their learning. We encourage discussion around Art, encouraging children to problem-solve as they go. We believe that through Art, we can teach children freedom of expression whilst providing them with a great sense of achievement.
Implementation:
At St John’s we incorporate Art into our Cornerstones topic themed learning, therefore children are immersed into the subject through cross-curricular learning opportunities. Children will experience Art through different topics that build on previous learning and skills. Throughout each key stage, children will explore a range of media and techniques, and will study a variety of different artists. Children will develop their understanding of Art through high-quality teaching, clear considered sequences of lessons and through close monitoring and assessment. By understanding the elements of Art and Design (line, tone, texture, colour, pattern, shape, 3D form), exploring and developing techniques in a range of media and looking at a range of artists, children at St John’s will be provided with a curriculum that will allow them to reach their full potential.
The Artsmark is fully embedded into the culture of both staff and children alike having held Gold level for four consecutive rounds. A whole school ethos helps us to promote the importance of the Arts, not only through our curriculum but also through our cultural enhancements including trips to the RSC, Local Art Galleries, the Theatre, working with Professional Artists and many more.
In Early Years, children will explore art through ‘Expressive Arts and Design’, incorporating ‘Creating with Materials’ and ‘Being Imaginative and Expressive’. Children will explore a range of materials, tools and techniques and experiment with colour, design, texture, form and function. They will be encouraged to use their imagination in Art to select materials and techniques, talk about their creations and explain the processes they have used.
In Key Stage 1, pupils will use a range of materials creatively to design and make their own products. They will use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination. They will develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space. They will talk about the work of a range of different artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.
In Key Stage 2, pupils will learn to use sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit their ideas. They will improve their mastery of Art and Design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials (for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay). They will investigate a range of great artists, architects and designers in history and talk about how their work makes them feel whilst using their pieces as inspiration.
Impact:
Children at St John’s will be able to confidently make choices with regards to their work, being able to reflect on what went well and changes they would like to make. They will find freedom of expression and feel that Art is a ‘safe place’ for them to show how they feel. They will build upon their skills learnt and understand that each piece of Art is inspired by that of another. Overall, children will become confident and resilient artists that are able to design, create and produce high-quality pieces of artwork that can be appreciated by all.
The Big Frieze
The children at St John’s CE Primary School have created their own interpretation of the Big Frieze by the artist, Emma Yarlett. The Big Frieze shows the big story of the bible and supports understanding of the core concepts of the Understanding Christianity materials of the RE curriculum.
To create The Big Frieze, all children form nursery through to Year 6 worked in pairs to create a piece of artwork reflecting their understanding. The worship team and the art ambassadors then voted to select work for the display.
RE in Early Years
In EYFS, Religious Education (RE) is centred around our children’s knowledge and understanding of the wider world and community around them.
Our children enjoy their RE learning as they explore with their peers, collaborating and thinking creatively. They develop knowledge and skills for life, learning to reflect, con
sider and express their viewpoints as well as gaining a wider and more in depth understanding of the similarities and differences between beliefs, values and practices of religion.
Children enjoy a range of activities including exploring artefacts, tasting foods and learning stories related to a variety of festivals, for example Diwali. We also enjoy responding to the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds within our school community and have visitors share celebrations such as Chinese New Year and the Islamic festival of Eid-al-Fitr with the children.
As a school we enjoy Christingle in December. The children enjoy making the Christingles to take home in their classrooms and learn about their significance in our RE sessions.
Early Year's Diwali Celebrations
At St John’s, we understand the importance of learning about different faiths. This begins in Early Years and our Nursery and Reception year groups have the opportunity to develop their understanding of People, Culture and Communities throughout the year, one of the themes being Diwali. During this unit of work, children are provided with the opportunity to identify some of the similarities and differences between faiths. They celebrate the special event by making diva lamps, making rangoli patterns and taking part in Bhangra dancing sessions. At St John’s, we celebrate a variety of faiths, inviting parents in to share their faith with us. One parent joined the Early Years team during Diwali celebrations to share photographs, personal objects and cards. This experience has brought the celebrations to life for the children in Early Years.
