Art at Coulsdon C of E

Intention

All children will be able to explore their creativity, experiment with different styles and develop their imaginations. The children will make meaningful connections with their art projects that are sequenced along with their term topics.  Each year children will be building upon their previous knowledge and skills.  Our curriculum’s intention is for progression to show throughout the years and for children to find opportunities to enjoy and express themselves using art.

Art has an important role in children’s wellbeing, it can be an outlet for their emotions and creativity.  Children can develop their passion for art and find themselves engrossed in styles they had never experimented with before. Children will get opportunities to work outdoors during the Spring and Summer terms.  Coulsdon C of E Primary School wants children to know art is all around us everyday and we can take part no matter which location we are in.

Implementation

At Coulsdon C of E Primary School we have broken down the requirements of the National Curriculum programmes of study into more specific skills to ensure there is full coverage of a range of areas of art, these are implicitly linked to our Cornerstones topics and include drawing (pencil, pen and ink), paint, sculpture, printing, collage (paper and fabric), natural art, landscapes and human form.

The skills and knowledge that children will develop throughout each art topic are mapped across each year group and throughout the school to ensure progression. 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, with children developing a considerable knowledge of individual artists as well as individual works and art movements. A similar focus on 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.

Coordinated whole-school project work will ensure that art is given high status in the curriculum.

 The school’s 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.

Impact

Classroom displays throughout Coulsdon C of E Primary School 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 celebrates children’s achievements in art and demonstrates the subject’s high status in the school.  Children's progression and attainment in art is continually assessed through a variety of methods, such as providing ongoing teacher feedback throughout a lesson or project, self-assessment and peer-assessment.   Discussions about a range of artistic genres and styles may be used to assess children’s understanding and to allow teachers to address any misconceptions. This is reported to parents in end of year reports. 

Curriculum

At Coulsdon C of E Primary School, the art curriculum is set to ensure progression and for children to develop their skills and knowledge of visual elements, art forms, artists and art movements.  Each year group will have a mini art topic set alongside their main topics. 

Key Stage 1

In Key Stage 1, the year begins with the children being introduced to and revisiting colour theories with many opportunities to explore primary and secondary colours.  Children will explore themes directly related to themselves, the natural world and our local community.  Art will expand their artistic horizons as towards the end of Key Stage 1 children will study a more comprehensive range of artists,artistic movements and creative techniques.

Lower Key Stage 2

In Lower Key Stage 2, children will be building on their previous knowledge of colour and further develop their expertise by studying theory. Children will study a broader range of art forms, artists and genres.  They will begin to study art from specific and diverse periods of history.  Children will explore ways in which ancient cultures have influenced art and crafts by studying weaving techniques and religious significance. 

Upper Key Stage 2

In Upper Key Stage 2, children will be studying tonal variations and more complex colour charts.  Children will develop their artistic skills in a range of genres, including drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture.  Children will be encouraged to work more independently which will require conceptual representations of personal, environmental, social or political messaging.  We want children to leave Coulsdon C of E Primary School feeling confident with their art experimentation and to explore wherever their creative minds may lead them.

Extra Curricular

During the school year an art club is offered to children of the school who can attend.