“Art and design stimulates creativity and imagination. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a unique way of understanding and responding to the world.”

At St John’s Church of England Primary School and Nursery we aim 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.

At St John’s Primary School and Nursery, we want our children to love art, craft and design! We want them to have no limits to what their ambitions are and to grow up wanting to be illustrators, graphic designers, fashion designers, architects or printmakers. Our Art curriculum is designed to engage, inspire and challenge pupils, whilst equipping them with the knowledge and skills to be able to experiment, invent and create their own works of art. As pupils progress, they should gain a deeper understanding of how Art and Design reflects and shapes our history, and how it contributes to the culture, creativity and wealth of our world. We want to equip our children with not only the minimum statutory requirements of the Art and Design National Curriculum but to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. We want our children to use the local area as inspiration, to learn from other cultures and to respect diversity. To that end, we have carefully selected a wide range of unique and diverse artists, craft makers and designers for children to study.

The art and design projects are well sequenced to provide a coherent subject scheme that develops children’s skills and knowledge of visual elements, art forms, artists and art movements.

• At St John’s, Art is taught in every year group, through knowledge-rich projects.
• Knowledge organisers are readily available for all children to access. These knowledge organisers allow children to refer back to key vocabulary when needed. They also give children an insight towards what each project will be about.
• Every child from Year 1 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, research artists and develop opinions.
• Throughout the St John’s journey, every child is given the opportunity to learn the skills of drawing, painting, printing and sculpture through the exploration of an initial key artist, craft maker or designer and their work.
• Through in-depth discussion, the pupils explore how their art can share commonalities with famous art and use subject-specific vocabulary to discuss key artworks and their own work.
• In the development of confident art critics, the pupils share their opinions and make informed observations about what will improve their own practical work.
• Cross-curricular links are promoted to allow all children to deepen their understanding across the curriculum, including the use of technology, and artworks from year group specific historical, geographical and scientific contexts.
• Teachers follow a clear progression of skills which ensures all pupils are challenged in line with their year group expectations and are given the opportunity to build on their prior knowledge.
• Opportunities to reflect and develop, including through the use of sketchbooks, and chances for self and peer-assessment are planned into each project in KS1 and KS2.
• To support teaching, staff access a range of resources and planning from Curriculum Maestro.

EYFS

Through Expressive Arts and Design, 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.

The impact of this curriculum design will lead to outstanding progress over time across key stages relative to a child’s individual starting point and their progression of skills. Children will therefore be expected to leave St John’s reaching at least age-related expectations for Art and Design. Our Art and Design curriculum will also lead pupils to be enthusiastic Art and Design learners, evidenced in a range of ways, including pupil voice, their final pieces and sketchbooks. We ensure that children who are achieving well, as well as those who need additional support, are identified, and additional provision and strategies are planned in and discussed with class teachers. Achievements are celebrated in classrooms and corridor displays, and in the future, we aim to build on connections in the local community where children’s work can be displayed. We aim to develop our future artists and their appreciation of the art around them.