Intent

Children work as artists and artistically with shape, line, colour, value, form, texture and space. Adventurous mark making is encouraged in children’s artistic practice and drawing is central to our curriculum. The children enjoy experimenting with a wide range of materials, often using the outside environment as inspiration for learning.

Art history is studied together with how artists, over time, locally, nationally and internationally, have achieved their inspiration from the natural world, built environment, human experience, identity and imagination.

Rich, essential, high-level vocabulary is explicitly taught, revisited and reinforced over time to strengthen cognitive connections and enhance the use of enriched, informed articulation of learning.

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

 Implementation

At St Gabriel’s School, we ensure full coverage of National Curriculum Art and Design by using CUSP (Curriculum with Unity Schools Partnership) Art and Design programme of study; specifically planned to deliver the essential knowledge, skills and understanding for each year group to achieve a mastery approach to deep learning.

EYFS

Early Years Foundation Stage pupils explore and use a variety of media and materials, using their senses, through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities; beginning to express ideas and feelings through making marks with meaning. They draw with increasing complexity and detail, investigate colour and colour-mixing and manipulate texture.

 Key stage 1

Pupils are taught:  to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products, to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination, to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space. They learn about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.

 Key Stage 2

Pupils are taught to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design. Pupils are taught to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas, to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials (for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay). They learn about great artists, architects and designers in history.

Impact

Outcomes in sketchbooks evidence a broad and balanced art curriculum, demonstrating the children’s acquisition and retention of identified key knowledge whilst also developing passion and enthusiasm for the subject. Pupil voice reflects children’s involvement in their own learning and metacognition.

The impact of art at St Gabriel’s School can be constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. The CUSP scheme of work includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against learning objectives and each unit has a quiz which can be used at the beginning or end of the unit. This ensures that children’s progress is accurately monitored and assessed throughout their time in school.