Art & Design

Art & design at Stocksbridge Junior School

Our vision of art and design is to inspire, foster innovative thinking, encourage self-expression and celebrate the achievements of our pupils as they work as artists and designers. Our pupils will develop practical skills, build knowledge and cultivate critical thinking skills to analyse and evaluate their own and the work of others by exploring the work of a diverse range of artists, artisans and designers. Through art and design, we want every pupil to feel empowered to discover, experiment and create, feeling excited to explore future possibilities in art and design.

Intent

Our Art and Design curriculum is designed to be ambitious, ensuring that all pupils experience a broad study of artistic procedures, techniques and language, fostering a lasting memory of their learning. We aim to ignite children’s curiosity by exploring the diverse works of artists, sculptors and designers throughout history, encouraging a deeper appreciation for artistic expression.

We build upon the knowledge and skills taught in Key Stage 1 to ensure that a broad programme of study is taught in Art and Design, that enables our pupils to make cumulative progress in this area.

The subject is taught through the exploration of key concepts such as formal elements, technique and media, individual expression, art history, diversity and evaluation. These concepts focus on three domains of knowledge in art: practical, theoretical and disciplinary. By engaging with these concepts, our pupils develop proficiency, knowledge and confidence to articulate their understanding, share the inspiration behind their own creations and form thoughtful opinions about their own work, the work of others and art from other cultures and periods in history.

Through our curriculum, pupils engage with a variety of mediums and techniques used by artists, designers and sculptors, empowering them to express their creativity through hands-on experimentation. We aim to inspire our pupils and develop their confidence to experiment and invent their own works of art.

Tailored to support the needs of our pupils and community, our curriculum gives pupils the opportunity to develop their ability, nurture their talents and interests and express their ideas. Additionally, it fosters a love for art and a deeper understanding of its cultural and historical significance.

Our curriculum is designed to ensure that every pupil leaves Key Stage 2 academically and emotionally prepared for the next phase of their learning journey. Through our curriculum, they are equipped with the skills, knowledge and confidence to continue exploring and expressing themselves through Art and Design.

Implementation

The art curriculum at our school is structured around three types of knowledge: practical, theoretical and disciplinary to enable pupils to:

‘develop practical knowledge of how to create art, craft and design, for example by learning the methods and techniques that artists, craft-makers and designers use.’
‘build theoretical knowledge of the tools, materials and history of art, craft and design.’
‘acquire disciplinary knowledge of the concept of art itself, such as the ways it is judged, valued and evaluated.’ Research review series: Art and Design, published 22 February 2023

These types of knowledge are delivered through key concepts carefully selected to ensure that when pupils encounter them again and again throughout the art curriculum, they deepen their knowledge and retain essential information that they can apply when creating and discussing art. These concepts provide pupils with a shared language to discuss, critique and evaluate their own and others’ work. Through repeated exposure throughout the curriculum, pupils develop a deeper understanding of how these key concepts interconnect and influence one another.

Key Concepts:

Formal elements – the basic building blocks artists use – line, tone, shape, colour, form, pattern and texture
Techniques and media – the methods and materials artists use
Individual Expression – unique creativity shaped by personal experiences, emotions and culture
Art History – art from different times and places
Diversity – including many viewpoints and experiences, celebrating differences
Evaluation – judging the value of artwork, how it looks, what it means and its importance

The key concepts are embedded within the Art and Design curriculum through five strands that run across the key stage:

Making skills – developing proficiency
Generating ideas – producing creative work and exploring ideas
Knowledge of artists – learning about a range of artists, artisans and designers and understanding their cultural and historical significance
Evaluating and analysing – evaluating and analysing their own and others’ work using an appropriate vocabulary to describe the quality and value of the work
Using sketchbooks – recording ideas, techniques and information

Throughout each unit of work, children revisit the key concepts through these strands, ensuring that our pupils develop practical, theoretical and disciplinary knowledge in Art and Design.

The key concepts ‘formal elements’ and ‘techniques and media’ are taught to our pupils in the making strand. Our pupils develop practical knowledge through these crucial areas of making which include:

drawing – this involves the creation of visual representations using various tools and techniques, such as pencils, pens, charcoal, pastels or digital drawing software. Our pupils develop their drawing skills by exploring different forms, lines, shapes and textures to convey ideas, observations or emotions. Drawing activities include still life, portraiture, landscape and imaginative compositions, allowing our pupils to experiment with perspective, proportion and shading. The unit may be linked to their learning in other curriculum areas e.g. Y3 Drawing, linked to Science, Plants.
painting and mixed media – this involves the use of brushes, paint and other tools to apply pigment onto a surface, such as paper or card. Our pupils experiment with different types of paint learning about colour mixing, brushstrokes and layering to achieve desired effects. Using mixed media, our pupils use a combination of different materials and techniques within a single artwork. They have the opportunity to explore a wide range of media, such as collage, printmaking, assemblage and digital art. They learn to combine materials like paper, fabric, found objects or digital elements to create visually rich and textured compositions. These may be linked to their learning in other curriculum areas e.g. Y5 Paint and mixed media, Portraits linked to Characters in Reading.
sculpture and 3D – this involves the creation of three-dimensional objects and forms using a variety of materials and techniques. Our pupils experience shaping, carving, modelling or constructing with materials such as clay, paper and card to create three-dimensional artworks. They learn about different sculpting techniques such as carving, modelling, casting and assembling and explore various tools and materials to manipulate and shape their sculptures. They may create figurative or abstract sculptures exploring various themes linked to their learning in other curriculum areas e.g. Y6 Sculpture and 3D, creating Memory Boxes linked to PSHE.
craft and design – this involves exploring different craft techniques such as weaving, printing and papercraft. Our pupils learn how to manipulate materials to create handmade objects. They engage in activities such as working with textiles, sculptures or decorative items, applying techniques such as decoration and assembling materials to produce unique and personalised craft pieces. Craft and design may be linked to their learning in other curriculum areas e.g. Y4 Craft and design, Ancient Egyptian scrolls linked to History.

The key concept ‘Individual Expression’ is encountered by our pupils in the generating ideas, knowledge of artists and evaluating and analysing strands.

The key concepts ‘Art History’ and ‘Diversity’ are encountered by our pupils in the knowledge of artists and evaluating and analysing strands.

The key concept ‘Evaluation’ is encountered through the evaluating and analysing strand.

Through drawing, paint and mixed media, sculpture and 3D, and craft and design, our pupils explore the methods and techniques used by different artists, use a range of media and materials and encounter the formal elements: line, tone, shape, colour, form, pattern and texture. As pupils progress through the Art curriculum, they deepen their understanding of each area of making and learn how artists utilise them to create personal, unique works of art that have cultural and historical significance. Through the study of art and artists, our pupils learn to describe, analyse and communicate their thoughts about their own and others’ work using a common language for discussing art and design.

By the end of the Key Stage, the National Curriculum attainment targets are securely met. Our progression of knowledge and skills across the Key Stage ensures that our pupils build upon their learning each time they encounter the key concepts through the five strands.

Art is integrated into the curriculum design using a spiral curriculum model which means that units of lessons are sequential, enabling children to build their skills and knowledge, applying them to a range of outcomes. Key skills and knowledge are revisited again and again with increasing complexity which allows our pupils the opportunity to revise and build on their previous learning. This approach fosters the development of a complex and rich understanding of art over time. In each year group, an art unit acts as a building block, ensuring that knowledge and concepts learned, directly build on previous units and lay foundations for what pupils will go on to learn.

Pupils in Year 3 to Year 6 participate in weekly Art and Design lessons for three half terms a year, focusing on the progression of knowledge and skills in drawing, painting and mixed media, sculpture and 3D and craft and design. During these lessons, all pupils have the opportunity to look at, discuss and evaluate a range of noteworthy artists and their work, covering traditional, modern, and contemporary art pieces.

Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils’ learning by illustrating key knowledge, techniques, skills, processes, facts and vocabulary. They encourage pupils to recall what they have studied to further embed their learning.

The teaching of Art and Design incorporates various pedagogical approaches which include:

Differentiated Instruction: For success and progression, teaching is tailored to meet the diverse needs of our pupils.
Scaffolded Instruction: Guiding our pupils’ learning by breaking down information into manageable steps.
Cross-Curricular Links: Our pupils develop a deeper understanding by connecting art with other subjects.
Choice-Based: Fostering ownership of learning by empowering our pupils to choose their own materials and techniques.
Collaborative Learning: Encouraging our pupils to work together to enhance communication and problem-solving.
Visual Thinking Strategies: Our pupils develop critical thinking by analysing visual imagery and thinking about questions related to it.
Reflective Practice: Encouraging our pupils to reflect on their artwork to promote self-assessment and set themselves goals for improvement.

These approaches aim to foster creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and self-assessment among our pupils, ensuring a well-rounded art education.

Interwoven throughout each lesson and unit are assessment opportunities. We use a combination of assessment strategies aimed at evaluating our pupils’ creativity, technical skills, understanding of artistic concepts and ability to reflect on their work. We observe our pupils as they work in Art and Design, paying attention to their engagement, creativity and use of techniques. Feedback offering guidance and encouragement is given to pupils as they engage in their learning. We encourage our pupils to reflect on their own artwork, discuss their artistic choices, challenges encountered and areas they would like to develop further.

At the end of a unit of work, we assess our pupils’ finished artworks based on assessment criteria and end points. The use of art sketchbooks, where pupils document their ideas, experiments, and reflections, also offer assessment opportunities that demonstrate progress over the key stage.

By using a variety of assessment strategies and providing meaningful feedback, teachers can effectively assess our pupils’ progress at Key Stage 2.

In order to enable our pupils to exhibit their skills in Art and Design, the school has close links with a local artist and community groups. These connections allow our pupils the opportunity to be involved in designing and creating artwork to be featured in the school’s locality and community.

To ensure that our staff feel confident to deliver inspiring and creative lessons, we have invested in high quality Continuous Professional Development ranging from staff meetings, blogs, Kapow instructional videos and locality support.

Impact

Our pupils develop and extend their learning in Art and Design throughout the whole Key Stage and meet the expectations of the National Curriculum. They are able to produce creative work, explore their ideas, experiment and keep a record of their learning in their art sketchbooks. They are proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and craft and design by learning the techniques associated with these areas of making. Our pupils have the confidence to work with a variety of mediums and experiment with a range of different techniques. We encourage our pupils to actively engage in their learning journey by discussing their ideas, making decisions about their own creative choices and evaluating their work and suggesting improvements. Having the confidence to explain their ideas and express an opinion about their own and others’ work using a rich and varied vocabulary is central to the learning of all our pupils. By looking at the work of famous artists, our pupils know about their work and the historical and cultural development of their art.

The assessment opportunities built into each lesson ensure that our pupils are both supported and challenged so that they can approach the key concepts of Formal Elements, Techniques and Media, Individual Expression, Art History, Diversity and Evaluation with confidence.

We foster in every child a love of art, creativity and an appreciation of art. As they complete the end of Key Stage 2, through skilful teaching, insightful assessment and carefully designed support, all of our pupils will have acquired the essential knowledge and skills that are the firm foundations upon which to build and continue their learning journey in Art and Design in Key Stage 3 and beyond.

Stocksbridge Junior School Curriculum for Art & Design

The national curriculum for art & design

Purpose of study

Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Aims

The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:

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

Subject content: key stage 2

Pupils should be taught to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.

Pupils should be taught:

to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas
to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials [for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay]
about great artists, architects and designers in history