Shortlanesend School

Intent

At Shortlanesend School, we view Art and Design as an important part of a broad and balanced curriculum of learning. We encourage all children to produce creative and imaginative work, embracing the entire journey of making.

Our children have regular opportunities to explore their ideas and record experiences through a variety of techniques. They explore the work of others, reflecting on their own and other creative ideas.

We strive to ensure all our children will develop an endless curiosity about art and design through a series of sequential lessons offering skills and knowledge progression whilst providing them with the opportunity to ask questions and demonstrate their skills in a variety of ways.

Implementation

We study artists, designers and craftspeople, so we can learn from the way they see the world. The curriculum uses pathways that follow tested pedagogical approaches and help build teacher understanding in addition to providing progressive projects.

This gives pupils many opportunities to develop reflective skills. We provide time to balance repeated practice with new experiences, quiet approaches with active and dynamic activities, time to work alone with collaborative and community based activities.

Impact

The Art lead and Teachers work carefully to plan Art using the Access Art scheme and link it to other topics and subjects the children have been learning throughout the term. We feel this encourages the children to gain further understanding and skills, enabling them to become productive learners.

Smile - Learn - Excel

Nursery

Starting from age 2, our children focus on using a variety of tools and media to create patterns, textures and shapes. They create artworks which reflect the seasons and events of the year.

Reception/ Year 1

All children have many opportunities to explore, make and reflect on their creations. We observe closely using a variety of different media such as paint, pens, crayons, sculpture. There is a strong emphasis on exploring individual creativity through play. The children are then eager to reflect on this with their peers and adults.

Year 1/2

Pupils are encouraged to use different media for drawing (sometimes combined in one drawing) to capture the nature of things we find. In printmaking, we explore mono prints through a variety of tools. We investigate and take inspiration from current and past artists. We regularly reflect on what we make through having discussions with peers and teachers.

Year 3

Children in year 3 reflect upon other artists' work, taking inspiration from this to create their own original works. They are encouraged to critically reflect on their on and their peers artworks.

Year 4/5

Pupils are encouraged to test art materials in an exploratory way, they bring this into their artistic practice confidently. They take inspiration from other artists, while developing individual style. Their artwork is often linked with other subjects across the curriculum.

Year 5/6

Pupils continue to reflect and explore their individual style in greater depth. They use topics within other subjects for inspiration. They enjoy being introduced to new artists and designers from all over the world.