Gwyn Jones Primary School

Intent

At Gwyn Jones we value Art and Design as an important element in the broad and balanced curriculum we provide. Through our Art and Design curriculum, we aim to inspire pupils and develop their confidence to experiment and invent their own works of art. We want to build upon a child’s early creative experiences whilst enabling them to express themselves in a practical and inspiring way so that our children have no limits to what their ambitions are and to grow up wanting to be illustrators, graphic designers, fashion designers, curators, architects, printmakers etc. Through learning about a wide range of Art and Crafts from various cultures, we hope to not only develop the children’s passion and love of the subject but also build a respect, natural inquisitiveness, and an appreciation of art in all its forms, which they may carry with them throughout their lives. 

We want to: 

• Assist pupils in becoming visually literate. 

• Develop powers of observation. 

• Develop aesthetic sensibilities to make judgements about Art.

•  Encourage the use of imagination and original thought. 

• Provide opportunities to learn about the world in which we live.

• Develop the ability to communicate ideas, opinions and feelings about their own work and that of others. 

• Encourage children to be able to respond knowledgeably to the work of other craftspeople, knowing that there are different kinds of art made for different purposes. 

• Acquire a range of different skills using different media as the children progress through the school. 

Implementation 

Art is taught in every year group using the ‘Kapow Primary’ art scheme of work to form the basis of our Art and Design curriculum, which is designed to give children every opportunity to develop their ability, nurture their talent and interests, express their ideas and thoughts about the world.

The ‘Kapow Primary’ Art and Design scheme of work is designed with four strands that run throughout – these are:

• Making skills

• Formal elements (line, shape, tone, texture, pattern, colour)

• Knowledge of artists

• Evaluating

These strands are revisited in every unit of work. When exploring art and design skills and formal elements of art units, children can learn and practise skills discretely.  The knowledge and skills from these units are then applied throughout other units.  Key skills are revisited repeatedly with increasing complexity in a spiral curriculum. Thus, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning.

Through practical work, we develop children’s knowledge and understanding of key artists and art movements. Creativity and independent outcomes are embedded in our curriculum and support children in learning how to make their own creative choices and decisions, so that their art outcomes, whilst still being knowledge-rich, are unique to the child and personal. Lessons are practical in nature and encourage experimental and explanatory learning with children using sketchbooks to document their ideas. All children are challenged in line with their year group expectations and are given the opportunity to build on their prior knowledge.  Lessons are differentiated to ensure lessons can be accessed and enjoyed by all and opportunities to stretch children’s learning are implemented. Knowledge organisers for each unit support children in building a foundation by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.

Each child (from Year 1 upwards) has a sketchbook. We give the child ownership of their sketchbook in order to foster their sense of creativity. Children use their sketchbooks to make initial sketches, develop skills, record ideas and develop opinions. 

Opportunities for children to visit local art galleries and museums are planned for, as well as visits from local artists. 

 EYFS 

Through Expressive Arts children are encouraged to explore different media, explore how media can be combined to create different effects and develop a range of skills and techniques experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. Children are given daily access to a range of creative opportunities and enjoy our carefully planned and well-resourced creative areas both indoors and out. Children are encouraged to create on both small and large scales and our outdoor environment supports this well. Children are encouraged to develop their communication and language skills through talking about their creations and sharing these with others to build confidence and raise self-esteem. 

Impact 

Kapow Primary’s curriculum is designed in such a way that children are involved in the evaluation, dialogue and decision making about the quality of their outcomes and the improvements they need to make. By taking part in regular discussions and decision-making processes, children will not only know facts and key information about art, but they will be able to talk confidently about their own learning journey, have higher metacognitive skills and have a growing understanding of how to improve. The impact of Kapow Primary’s scheme can be constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Each lesson includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against the learning objectives and each unit has a unit quiz and knowledge catcher which can be used at the start and/or end of the unit. After the implementation of Kapow Primary’s Art and design scheme, pupils should leave primary school equipped with a range of techniques and the confidence and creativity to form a strong foundation for their Art and design learning at Key Stage 3 and beyond.

The expected impact of following the Kapow Primary Art and design scheme of work is that children will:

• Produce creative work, exploring and recording their ideas and experiences.

• Be proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.

• Evaluate and analyse creative works using subject-specific language.

• Know about great artists and the historical and cultural development of their art.

• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Art and design.