Art

Curriculum Leader: Grace Horne

Miss Horne is our Art Leader and is responsible for this curriculum area. This means ensuring we teach an ambitious curriculum, supporting our teachers to implement our curriculum through high-quality lessons and checking that lessons are helping our children to know more, remember more and do more.

Our vision for Art at Chiltern
At Chiltern Primary School we are committed to making learning irresistible and the subject of Art can embody this wholeheartedly. 

As a school we are committed to providing all children with learning opportunities to engage in art and design. The purpose of Art education is to give people the skills, concepts and knowledge necessary for them to express their responses to ideas, experiences or stimuli. We develop creativity in a number of ways including visual or tactile forms. Our art curriculum fires the children's imagination and is a fundamental means of personal expression.

While Art is predominantly a practical based subject, art should provide opportunities for reflection and, with increasing sensitivity, pupils should acquire the ability to make informed, critical responses to their own work and that of others. When completing this type of work, we reinforce our six strands of: Respect, Resilience, Focus, Self-Regulation, Indenepdence and Boundaries as they provide a much-needed scaffold for our children.

There is a great pleasure derived from Art and Design and through deeper understanding, pupils can gain access to cultural richness and diveristy. The appreciation and enjoyment of visual arts enriches all of our lives. 

We are fortunate at Chiltern Primary School to have a dedicated curriculum space for the teaching and learning of Art. Our 'Art Studio' is a bespoke room that can help to develop creativity where art work and projects can also be on display for the whole school community to share. 

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.
   

Intent

We are setting out to help our pupils be ...

• Skillful - Children become proficient with a diverse range of skills and techniques.

• Excited - Children love to produce creative artwork and explore their own ideas.

• Resilient - Children are resilient and enjoy art even when it is not perfect. 

• Cultured - Children learn about great artists from a variety of cultures throughout history and in the world today.

Implementation

We will do this by ensuring ...

• A variety of experiences - Children gain real-life experiences through visitors and trips.

• Children have a broad and balanced curriculum - A broad and exciting curriculum that is engaging for children.

• Giving children time - Allow children time to make and explore without expectations first.

• Children have a broad and balanced curriculum - Content is taught progressively, looking at different artists in each year group.

Impact

We will have made a difference when ...

• Children value the arts - Children see value in the arts and see artistic careers as viable options.

• Children enjoy the arts - Children enjoy their art learning and are proud of what they can produce.

• Children are brave - Children are free to make mistakes and try new ideas.

• Children can show what they know - All children are taught a varied curriculum and show a clear understanding of threshold concepts.
   

Our children will be taught to...

Year R

• In Year R children are introduced to the world of computing and technology. They are taught that technology is used in various places such as homes and schools, and that it can be used for different purposes.

• Children are encouraged to explore a range of technology, including digital devices such as tablets, laptops, and interactive whiteboards, as well as other tools such as cameras, talking tins, and programmable toys. Through hands-on experiences, they learn how to select and use these technologies for particular purposes, such as using a camera to take photographs or a talking tin to record and playback their voice.

• The aim is for children to develop their knowledge and understanding of the ways in which technology can be used, and to develop their skills in using these tools effectively. They are also taught about the importance of staying safe and responsible when using technology, such as keeping personal information private and being respectful when communicating online.

Key Stage 1

In Key Stage 1, each autumn term begins with the colour project Mix It. The teaching of this project in Years 1 and 2 enables children to be introduced to and then revisit colour theory and provides plentiful opportunities for children to explore primary and secondary colours.

Year 1 begins by exploring themes directly related to the children themselves, such as their facial features, the surrounding natural world and their local community.

In Year 2, the projects expand children’s artistic horizons to study a more comprehensive range of artists, artistic movements and creative techniques.

Lower Key Stage 2

In Lower Key Stage 2, each autumn term begins with the colour project Contrast and Complement. In Years 3 and 4, the teaching of this project enables children to build on their previous understanding of colour and further develop their expertise by studying theory.

In Year 3, children expand their experiences to study a broader range of art forms, artists and genres. They also begin to study art from specific and diverse periods of history, including prehistoric pottery and Roman mosaics. Other genres studied in Year 3 build on previous techniques learned in Key Stage 1 and include more complex techniques in printmaking, drawing, painting and textiles.

In Year 4, children develop more specialised techniques in drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture. They explore ways in which ancient cultures have influenced art and crafts by studying, for example, medieval weaving techniques and the religious significance of Islamic art.

Upper Key Stage 2

Upper Key Stage 2 In Upper Key Stage 2, each autumn term begins with the colour project Tints, Tones and Shades. Teaching these projects in Years 5 and 6 enables children to build on their previous understanding of colour theory and develop further expertise with colour by studying tonal variations and more complex colour charts.

In Year 5, children develop and combine more complex artistic techniques in a range of genres, including drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture. Children continue to build on their understanding of other historical periods and cultures by studying the ancient Chinese art form of taotie and the significance of the Expressionist movement.

In Year 6, children are encouraged to work more independently in projects like Environmental Artists and Distortion and Abstraction. Such projects require them to consider more conceptual representations of personal, environmental, social or political messaging. Children explore diversity in art by studying the projects Inuit and Trailblazers, Barrier Breakers.