Art and Design at Nash Mills!

Led by Mrs Ofosu

“All children are artists” 

 Pablo Picasso

"I found I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for."

Georgia O’Keeffe

Art and Design at our school engages and inspires children to express their individual creativity and to produce their own works of art in a visual or tactile form. Our Art curriculum provides children with opportunities to develop their skills using a range of media and materials. Children learn the skills of drawing, painting, printing, collage, textiles, 3D work and digital art and are given the opportunity to explore and evaluate different creative ideas.

All of our learners will have:

• The opportunity to develop excellent skills across a range of areas and using a wide variety of resources and media.
• The ability to evaluate their own work and that made by others.
• A practical approach to design, through a clear process of planning and evaluating.  They will be able to discuss ideas and challenge others.
• Spirituality.  A clear sense of how art and other media makes them feel and how these things can affect others.
• The opportunity to record from first-hand experiences and imagination.
• A critical awareness of the roles and purposes of art and design in different times and cultures. 
• Knowledge about great craft makers and designers and understand the historical and cultural development of art forms. 

How we teach Art and Design

Art is taught as a block of lessons focusing on an artist and a key project each term.  The whole of Key Stage 1 and 2 deliver the same theme at the same time, which enables us to see clear progression of skills across the school as well as sharing best practice and subject knowledge amongst staff. Fluency in art is delivered in weekly short burst activities focusing on an element of art. 

 Pupils also explore components of Art and Design through the Computing, Science and other curriculum areas.

In Early Years, the curriculum is planned and sequenced to provide pupils with the opportunities to develop component skills which will prepare them for their learning once they reach Key Stage 1.  More information about this can be seen on our Early Years curriculum planning.  During the EYFS pupils explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities. They have the opportunities to learn to:

• 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

The key objectives of intent within the Art and Design Curriculum, based on the National Curriculum 2014 guidance:

• 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
• to be taught 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