Art & Design
Art & Design
'Together with Jesus, we love to learn and learn to love'
Why we have made the choices and decisions we have in designing our curriculum
At Immaculate Heart we want our children to explore and learn about a broad range of artists, styles and periods that reflect our local community and the wider world. Children will become adventurous, accomplished, and considerate pupils through our carefully designed curriculum. We want pupils to develop practical skills in painting, collage, and sculpture. These skills will be revisited each year, giving pupils a chance to build on what they have learnt and feel a great sense of achievement and see their progress.
Through the art curriculum at Immaculate Heart of Mary, children will produce creative work, exploring ideas and recording experiences. Pupils will become proficient in all art, craft and design techniques taught. They will learn to evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft, and design. Children will learn to understand and know about great artists and designers and will begin to make links and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.
How subject is taught in our school
Careful consideration has been given to our choice of artists and themes to ensure that the work completed in each year group is underpinned by our school virtues and helps to build the children’s cultural capital. The three threshold concepts including the development of ideas, mastering techniques, and taking inspiration from the greats all ensure that the most effective art and design teaching is taking place. Art is taught as a discrete subject and three art units will be taught each year. This includes painting, collage and sculpture .Where possible, teachers will aim to make cross curricular links to ensure that art can be accessed and taught through other topics.
Our progression in skills document maps out the key milestones for each area of art. The children will develop their use of sketchbooks as they progress through the school. Sketchbooks will be used as a tool to record observations, research, develop ideas, test materials and plan. Within each art unit the children will: take inspiration, develop ideas, master skills and evaluate their work. We teach children to regularly reflect on their work as it develops, to adapt or improve it in order to realise their ideas and to explain and justify changes made.
In KS1 pupils will begin to use a range of materials and art techniques to develop and share their imaginative ideas. With a focus on painting, collage and sculpture, children will broaden their knowledge and skill when using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form, and space. In KS1 children will then start to use the techniques learnt to make links with other artists, comparing and making links to their own work.
In KS2 pupils are developing these art and design techniques further. They will show an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design and will learn to review and revisit their work and their ideas.
Early Years have their own carefully designed long term plan, based on the Early Years Framework, which takes into consideration the needs and interests of the children.
How we make sure outcomes are high for our children
We aim for all children and Immaculate Heart to become confident and capable artists. Using the skills and knowledge progression as guidelines, we can ensure that children can achieve the Expected Standard for each stage of the NC. This enables staff to plan and assess effectively. Teachers also take on a more formative assessment approach in order to match planning to the needs of the children.
We assess our children against the key skills we have identified in our progression of skills document based on the National Curriculum and one developing the key knowledge for each unit to go alongside this.
The art subject leader monitors the impact of the art curriculum across the school through lesson observations, scrutiny of planning and discussions with staff and pupils. Children’s work will be celebrated across the school, enabling the art leader to observe the progression throughout the school.
Below are pictures of the children exploring art through painting. Across the school, children looked a range of different artists, colours and brush techniques. Take a look at some of the brilliant painting that we have completed at iHOM so far this year!
