Art Curriculum

Art and Design Curriculum (Herne Junior School)

Intent

Our exciting and engaging curriculum is designed with the philosophy of ‘every child should feel that they can achieve in art’. This is something that is integral to the teaching of art and underpins everything we aim to do within the subject. At Herne Junior School, we offer a structure and sequence of lessons to help teachers ensure they have covered the skills required to meet the aims of the National Curriculum.  Our intent is to ensure that all pupils produce creative, imaginative work. We believe that art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. They can give a voice to the imagination, emotions and character of a child. We will give our children the opportunity to explore their own ideas and to record their experiences, as well as encouraging them to explore and appreciate the work of other artists, whilst evaluating different creative ideas. Children will become confident, proficient and independent in a variety of techniques when drawing and painting, as well as with other selected craft skills, e.g. collage, sculpture and patterns. Drawing will be taught as one of our main curriculum threads, as the teaching of drawing can be applied to many other areas of the curriculum. Children will also develop their knowledge of Great Artists, Designers and Architects in history and will use this knowledge to experiment, invent and create their own works of art. Children will develop their interest and curiosity about art and design through a series of lessons offering skills progression; knowledge progression; and the opportunity to ask questions and demonstrate their skills in a variety of ways. The lessons will also offer the chance for children to develop their emotional expression through art and creativity, to further enhance their personal, social and emotional development. We aim for our high-quality art and design education to engage, inspire and challenge our pupils. When children experience their art lessons, we aim to promote a calm, purposeful and engaging atmosphere, promoting positive well-being and enjoying their learning.

Implementation

Our art activities and outcomes are planned systematically in order to progressively build skills and knowledge for pupils throughout their learning journey across the school as well as along their own, personal creative journey. Children are given opportunities to be inspired by the creative arts through community links (St Peter’s Church, Eco Shop, Armed Forces Mural), after school clubs (Tree Frog Art) and utilising the school’s natural environment. Across the school, pupils encounter a wide range of artists and artworks from different cultures and periods in history. We encourage the learning of art through our Herne Values, in particular independence, collaboration, and enjoyment, ensuring that everyone’s work is valued. Subject specific vocabulary is made explicit to encourage the language of art.

Year 3 – Mark Making, Still Life, Colour Mixing, Wassily Kandinsky and Colour Emotions, Roman Pots.

Year 4 – Portraits and Self Portraits, Paul Klee, Abstract Imaginary World Paper Sculpture, WW2 (St Paul’s Cathedral).

Year 5 – The Moon, Natural Forms and Karl Blossfeldt (Photography), Volcanoes, Van Gogh, Drawing in Proportion.

Year 6 – The Colour Wheel, Claude Monet, Story of a River, Mayan Temples in Perspective, Mayan Masks, William Morris (Victorian Designers), Victorian Artists and Great Architects.

Impact

When pupils leave the school, we want their learning in art to have enabled them to become confident, resilient and independent artists who can express themselves creatively and articulately, and value their own creative journey. They will be able to think critically and have developed a deeper understanding of art and design. Their understanding of how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our world is an important part of their learning journey. Children will understand and value the positive impact that art and creativity can have on personal well-being and leave with a love and appreciation of art, inspiring them to become life-long learners.

 

“Every child is an artist. The problem is to remain an artist once they grow up”

Pablo Picasso

 

Click here for our Art Knowledge Organisers.