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St. Patrick’s Catholic Primary School

Art & Design Curriculum Statement

Intent

 At St. Patrick’s, we believe that art is a vital part of children’s education, with a significant and valuable role in the taught curriculum and the enrichment opportunities we offer our pupils. The art curriculum develops children’s critical abilities, as well as an understanding of their own and others’ cultural heritage, securing knowledge of the history of Art and through the study of a diverse range of local and global artists. As pupils progress, they should gain a deeper understanding of how Art and Design reflects and shapes our history, and how it contributes to the culture, creativity and wealth of our world. 

Children will develop their knowledge of the visual language of art with effective teaching and considered sequences of lessons and experiences. Understanding of the visual elements of art and design (line, tone, texture, colour, pattern, shape, 3D form) are developed by our  curriculum which enables children to reach their full creative potential.

We want our children to learn not beyond simply doing Art and experimenting with art. We want our childrens’ experience to be broad and progressive so they learn more and remember more as they progress through school. 

We want our pupils to:

  • Through careful sequenced planning which develops: 

secure substantive practical knowledge: how we make art

substantive theoretical  knowledge: knowledge of art and its history

disciplinary Knowledge: What art is (Knowledge of how quality and value have been expressed by experts)

  • For disciplinary knowledge to drive our curroum so puls learn from varying art forms and eras – Traditional Modern Contemporary 
  • Be ambitious and learn to develop:

Fluency – pupils to become proficient and can make well in the traditions of their chosen specialisms.

Experimentation: pupils try out ideas, methods  to find original solutions.

Authenticity: pupils can visually perform their thinking of an issue, topic or theme.

  • Learn all aspects of the National Curriculum
  • To plan learning so it is organised and sequenced to help our pupils increase in knowledge
  • To help children remember the core knowledge over time
  • To be ambitious for our pupils so they develop fluency of skills, experiment with methods and authenticate their ideas.
  • For EYFS and the creativity there to be the building block for their learning in KS1 and KS2
  • To have ambition for all so the curriculum content is not reduced for children with SEND

How will we know if we are successful?

Pupils can talk about their learning  and  are knowledgeable about

the materials they could use and refer back to  previous learning

▪ Pupils visit places of interest and do not see art as something isolated in a classroom

▪ Teachers will teach pupils to make, design and improve work which represents their own ideas.

▪ Pupils can plan out their work and are confident in their ability to talk about their designs and plans and intentions for making.

▪ Pupils enjoy talking about their previous work and showing examples of where they have improved.

Implementation

EYFS

Children start on their art educational journey in the Early Years Foundation Stage. What children learn in EYFS is crucial knowledge for them to build on in the future. The knowledge and vocabulary that children develop, particularly through the ‘expressive arts and design and physical development ’ area of learning, enable them to access art content at Key stage 1, where we begin our formal teaching of art.

Clear and Consistent approach to pedagogy 

Consistent approach to teaching – our model for learning

Retrieval and Recall

Retrieval tasks are a focus in all lessons so children build on prior knowledge. Recall tasks are used to check existing knowledge at the beginning of each art topic; allowing opportunities for key knowledge to be reviewed by the children and rigorously checked and consolidated by the teacher. Each unit of study draws upon our children’s prior learning and new content is introduced in a carefully planned and logical sequence, allowing them to build upon what they already know.

Vocabulary Development  – the teaching of vocabulary 

All curriculum plans focus on the structured, progressive understanding of vocabulary. Lessons have a clear focus on predetermined vocabulary which is modelled and taught by staff.

 

 

Checking for understanding – looking for Misconceptions

Effective Questioning:  questioning from the teacher enables them to check for understanding and address any misconceptions during lessons. This enables quality formative assessment. 

Summarising: asking children to summarise their understanding of a particular art concept can assess understanding, whilst allowing for any misconceptions to be immediately addressed.

Justifying: asking children to provide an opinion on a given art concept and then allowing them to justify and explain their answers using their acquired artistic  knowledge and reasoning.

Live feedback : enables teachers to check for understanding and provide immediate feedback for pupils.

Explain and Modelling

High quality history teaching requires clear & concise  teacher explanations and explicit modelling of skills.

In all lessons, teacher explanations should be  supported by strong subject knowledge.

Disciplinary knowledge & scientific skills, should be made explicit to children and then skillfully modelled in a step by step format.

Children should then be provided with the opportunity to implement these working scientifically skills independently.

 

Scaffolding 

 

Teachers plan scaffolds for learning to support the children who need it. Scaffolding is the temporary support that is removed when it is no longer required’, providing ​‘enough support so that pupils can successfully complete tasks that they could not yet do independently’. A teacher may show the thought processes they go through and model expected outcomes. The teacher would also anticipate likely mistakes. All staff, Teachers and Teaching Assistants, have had training in how best to support children with effective scaffolding.

 

Applying Learning

Teaching needs to move pupils so they have the knowledge to work independently. Teaching is often modelled around the I do, We Do, You do model.

Pupils require the opportunity to apply the knowledge or practise the working scientifically skills they have been taught.

Pupils should be encouraged and given the opportunity to work independently and apply what they have learned and develop their skills whenever possible.

 

Planned Progress in Substantive and Disciplinary Knowledge

Our curriculum plans focus on the development of knowledge::

Substantive knowledge – Practical

  • Children learn about the component knowledge of the practical content.
  • The curriculum outlines the core and component skills.

 

Substantive Knowledge – Theoretical

  • Children learn about the component knowledge of the theoretical content.
  • Children can discuss art and artists with confidence.

 

Disciplinary Knowledge

  • Children learn about the different paradigms of art.
  • Children can engage in debate and dialogue about art.
  • Traditional—Convention and imitation.
  • Modern—Originality, experimentation.
  • Contemporary—Collaborative and deconstructs norms.

 

 

Avoiding Cognitive Overload

Planning priorities key learning within lessons so pupils are not overloaded and recall tasks enable pupils to use previous learning so they can connect concepts and secure their understanding.

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Inclusion and Ambition 

All pupils are entitled to a broad art curriculum. Any adaptations made to support pupils’ learning in history usually should not be to the overall curriculum content, but rather to how the content is taught. In summary we try, where possible, to adapt the tasks and the activities so all children learn the same content.

 

Breadth & Depth

Traditional—Convention and imitation.

  • Modern—Originality, experimentation.
  • Contemporary—Collaborative and deconstructs norms.

 

Building from the foundations made in EYFS

The teaching of art begins in EYFS following a topic based approach.To help children we focus on a few concepts that are particularly important in their future learning in art. Children do not, at this age, need comprehensive or complex knowledge of concepts. Early familiarity with these concepts will allow children to access the curriculum as they develop through the school. Learning can be linked to observing the world around them.

 

SEND

Pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) have the greatest need for excellent art teaching and are entitled to provision that supports achievement at, and enjoyment of, school. At times we should modify our  teaching approaches to support pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities There is a need for all pupils to share the same curriculum, with the same level of art knowledge that pupils should know wherever possible. We ensure all pupils have access to high quality teaching by: flexible grouping; cognitive and metacognitive strategies;  explicit instruction; using technology; and scaffolding.

  

Teaching Assistants

Teaching assistants make a major contribution to art. They do this through their support for children as individuals, as groups and as classes.  Following the EFF research on scaffolding, research has shown that improving the nature and quality of TAs’ talk to pupils can support the development of independent learning skills, which are associated with improved learning outcomes. TAs are trained to avoid prioritising task completion and instead concentrate on helping pupils develop ownership of tasks.TAs should aim to give pupils the least amount of help first. They should allow sufficient wait time,so pupils can respond to a question or attempt the stage of a task independently. TAs should intervene appropriately when pupils demonstrate they are unable to proceed.

 

Assessment 

Staff use formative and summative assessment to support learning. In lesson checks are a strong feature so teachers can support pupils and summative assessment helps identify common weaknesses over time so these can be addressed. Ongoing marking of books, with each objective assessed: the teacher will tick three for greater depth, twice for a secure understanding, once for developing and a dot used for emerging.

  • Grades are inputted into termly trackers, which produce an analysis for subject leaders, broken down by gender, PP and SEND
  • Curriculum leader, supported by SLT, moderate grades against the evidence, alongside discussions with class teachers and a selection of pupils

 

CPD

Teachers have been well supported through professional development and are therefore confident and ambitious for pupils giving art such a high profile within school. The art leader  is currently applying for the arts mark. 

Outcomes in art books  evidence a broad and balanced art curriculum and demonstrate the children’s acquisition of identified key knowledge. 

Topics are informed by the national curriculum and are sensitive to children’s interests, as well as the context of the local area.  The art curriculum at St Patrick’s is carefully planned and structured to ensure that current learning is linked to previous learning and that the school’s approaches are informed by current pedagogy.  In line with the national curriculum 2014, the curriculum at St Patrick’s aims to ensure that all pupils:   

 Practical—Methods, techniques, media.

 Theoretical—history of art, including meanings and interpretations, materials and processes.

 Disciplinary knowledge—Different paradigms of Art. What is Art?

 12 areas of making: includes, as referenced in NC, drawing, painting and sculpture.

 Skills are broken down into tangible components.

In KS1 and KS2, art  is taught in half termly blocks to embed knowledge and skills.  The key knowledge and skills that children acquire and develop throughout each area of study have been mapped to ensure progression between year groups throughout the school.

Cross curricular outcomes in art are specifically planned for.  The school’s own context is also considered, with opportunities for visits to places of artistic  interest and learning outside the classroom also identified and embedded in practice.  

Planning is informed by and aligned with the National Curriculum. Our bespoke curriculum has been designed by the art subject lead with the support of staff across the school to ensure that teaching equips pupils with the skills and knowledge required to become knowledgeable, analytical citizens. The art curriculum is designed to ensure appropriate diversity in the significant figures that children learn about. 

  • Regular events, such as Art Week or projects, such as  the school art gallery , allow all pupils to come off-timetable, to provide broader provision and the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills. These events often involve families and the wider community.
  • We encourage the vocational aspects of art through our links with the  art community. 
  • We consciously offer opportunities to inform and teach the children about changes in the scientific world. We use picture news, global goals and directed lessons to ensure our children understand their place in the wider world. 

 

 

AThe skills and knowledge that children  develop throughout each art topic are mapped out across each year group and are progressive throughout the school. The emphasis on knowledge ensures that children understand the context of the artwork, as well as the artists that they are learning about and being inspired by. This enables links to other curriculum areas, including humanities, with children developing a considerable knowledge of individual artists, as well as individual works and art movements. A similar systematic approach to the development of artistic skills means that children are given opportunities to express their creative imagination, as well as practise and develop mastery in the key processes of art: drawing, painting, printing, textiles and sculpture.

Our approach to planning and teaching and learning is based around two component areas: Substantive Knowledge and Disciplinary Knowledge.

 

 Organised into meaningful ways to focus pupils’ thinking and support pupils to make sense of new information and remember long term. Topics are repeated around themes to help pupils to do this and previous learning is revisited and built on as part of our pedagogy.

Sequenced so  it is  broken down into clear steps and ensures pupils can learn key components to help pupils practise and improve over time. It is carefully  sequenced to revisit and use prior knowledge and is re-encountered across the curriculum in different contexts.

 

So children have rich experiences and can build their disciplinary knowledge pupils learn about how experts have expressed quality and value through the

different mediums of art. Which could be organised as:

▪ Traditional

▪ Modern

▪ Contemporary

Pupils learn disciplinary knowledge and are able to engage in dialogue and debate. We encourage the pupils to question: What is art, building cultural capital and enjoyment in Art.

Coordinated whole-school initiatives ensure that art is given high status in the curriculum.  Our high-quality art curriculum is supported through the availability of a wide range of quality resources, which are used to support children’s confidence in the use of different media. The school’s unique locality is also utilised, with planned opportunities for learning outside the classroom, as well as the involvement of adults with specialist skills from the local and wider community. We provide opportunities for our pupils to learn to appreciate art by visiting local and national art galleries. We have also established links with local artists such as Lucy Pittaway where pupils interviewed her about her work.  The children are inspired to meet artists to learn more about what it means to express themselves as artists and have greater knowledge of what artists actually do and why they pursue careers in art.

Impact

 

  • Pupils are improving their knowledge of art as well as there fluency in Art
  • Over time the experiences planned help children know more about Art and not just rely on making end products 
  • Pupils make good progress as the components eg drawing, painting, sculpture,  we want the children to remember and develop in are broken down, practised in different contexts, and applied creatively due to our planned approach
  • Children learn a broad curriculum (traditional, modern and contemporary art) and, as a result of our planning and highly effective teaching, they are improving in expertise, improving their fluency, they are experimenting more frequently and considering the impact of art.
  • Teachers are adept at questioning and assessment and responsive to pupils’ misconceptions and gaps, adapting their teaching to help pupils learn more and improve their knowledge..

The structure of the art curriculum ensures that children are able to develop their knowledge and understanding of the work of artists, craftspeople and designers from a range of times and cultures and apply this knowledge to their own work. The consistent use of children’s sketchbooks means that children are able to review, modify and develop their ideas in order to achieve high quality outcomes. Children learn to understand and apply the key principles of art: line, tone, texture, shape, form, space, pattern, colour, contrast, composition, proportion and perspective. The opportunity for children to refine and develop their techniques over time is supported by effective lesson sequencing and progression between year groups. This also supports children in achieving age related expectations at the end of their cohort year.

Classroom displays reflect the children’s sense of pride in their artwork and this is also demonstrated by creative outcomes across the wider curriculum. The school environment also celebrates children’s achievements in art and demonstrates the subject’s high status in the school, with outcomes, including sculptures, enhancing the environment. The Art curriculum contributes to children’s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection. Children will achieve high expectations in Art at the end of their cohort year.

Our Art leader spends time in EYFS to ensure the elements of learning within EYFS is a starting point for learning when children enter KS1.  Expressive arts and design is one of the seven areas of the early years foundation stage and is used to develop a child’s imagination, creativity and their ability to use media and materials. Children do this in a range of ways including  playing with colours, textures and design. This gives the basis for developing their learning further in KS1.

Children with SEND have, wherever possible, the same opportunities to develop and learn the full curriculum by making appropriate adaptations but always providing the same opportunities.