Art

"Art is an irreplaceable way of understanding and expressing the world." - Dana Gioia

What does Art look like in Cubitt Town?

Intent

We believe that every child is an artist. Our aim is to teach skills and provide opportunities for all children to succeed in art.

We want the children to become confident orators of the arts by encouraging them to communicate ideas, opinions, and feelings about their own work and that of others using key vocabulary.

Our children deserve to be equipped with the statutory requirements of the Art and Design National Curriculum, but it is also extremely important that they gain a deeper understanding of how art reflects and moulds our history and significantly impacts the culture, creativity, and wealth of our world.

Following the National  Curriculum, in KS1 pupils are taught:

New techniques across all mediums, using creativity and inspiration from the world around them.

• to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products
• to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination
• to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space
• about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the
• differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.

Following the National  Curriculum, in KS2 pupils are 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.

• to use/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 [e.g. pencil, charcoal, paint, clay]
• about great artists, architects and designers in history

Art has no boundaries and provides opportunity for all levels of ability to succeed. Therefore it is a great tool for building self confidence and independence. Through art, children will be able to express themselves creatively and provide a time for mindfulness and mental well-being.

Implementation

Pupils at Cubitt Town study five units in different art mediums throughout the year, with many lessons displaying a cross-curricular link to other subjects. Children learn the skills of drawing, painting, printing, sculpture, and collage.

We follow a clear sequence of learning: exploration, teaching the skills, applying the skills and evaluating.

With a progressive tool-kit of skills, knowledge and understanding, children will learn to express their ideas with freedom and enthusiasm within a rich cross-curricular approach, exploring, experimenting, creating and inventing becoming resourceful and innovative.  

We know that our children do not access the amazing art offered in London, and so we have designed a curriculum that exposes children to a wide variety of artists, art forms, techniques, processes, and media. This includes art educational visits as well as a chance to showcase their own work in a school exhibition.

As well as exploring art works to understand technique, we develop visual literacy by encouraging the children to explore a work of art as they would a text, to ‘read’ the stories being told, and to understand the role of art as a historical source. 

Each child is presented with a sketch book that acts as a visual diary that allows children to document their artistic journey. Children use their sketchbooks to make initial sketches, develop skills, record ideas, and develop opinions.

At Cubitt Town Primary School, our art curriculum is designed to meet the needs of our pupils ensuring our curriculum intentions are met. We do this through:

Following a whole school curriculum that covers a range of styles, artists and genres:  drawing, painting, collage, printmaking and 3D (sculpture).  

• Weekly lessons – Art is taught once per week in all year groups and is also available for children through continuous provision in the Early Years
• Whole class /mixed-ability lessons – The subject content, skills and techniques taught, are made accessible to all children; with special provision made for those children who may need it.
• Cross Curricular Links – To ensure that the pupils get the benefit of a full and balanced curriculum, links are made (where appropriate) with other curriculum areas.
• Critical thinking – Is encouraged when discussing art, works of art and artists through the use of both closed and open-ended questions. Pupils are also encouraged to use and respond to similar questions in response to their own work.
• Broad subject matter:  Involves the study of a range of culturally and ethnically diverse artists, designers and craftspeople both past and present.
• Fostering an understanding – Is achieved through the understanding that art is made by all sorts of people, in many different ways, for many different reasons.
• Summer Art Fair – An annual Art Day will be held in the second Summer term in order to inspire and motivate a love of art and to immerse the pupils (and parents/family) in a world of creativity.
• Gallery visits - Each year group in both Key Stages is encouraged to either visit a gallery or art installation.
• Assessment (teacher): Is to be discussed verbally with the child throughout each lesson to ensure in the moment feedback is given and children have the ability to progress and adapt where needed. 
• Assessment (self/peer) Is used as a vital tool for establishing the progress the children are making and for identifying the next steps in learning.

Teachers are provided with opportunities to develop their own art skills through inset days provided by the art lead, mini drop ins to learn a new specific skill, staff meeting art focus starters, the use of accessart which provides videos and training and the offer to attend Tower Hamlets art half termly meetings. Planning support is given through the use of overviews and progression documents. The art lead offers support for any teacher who would like guidance on planning. Butterflying and team teacher with the art lead is always available for teachers who would like best practice modelled for them and a chance to improve teaching standards. This is monitored through learning walks, book looks, pupil voice and teacher questionnaires.

Impact

The impact of our Art curriculum is that the majority of children, in our school, are able to;

• produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
• become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture collage and printing
• evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art
• know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms
• by the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study
• children are ready to progress to the next key stage

Our aim is to provide opportunities for all children to succeed in art and foster a love of creativity and an appreciation of art which is formed for life.