Intent: 

Art and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design reflects and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.  At St Clare’s we follow the CUSP curriculum. CUSP Art and Design has purposely been built around the principles of evidence-led practice. This is to ensure that pupils are equipped to successfully think, work and communicate like an artist and designer. Unapologetically ambitious, our art curriculum focuses on excellence in this subject through a myriad of media and incredible artists. 

Throughout the year, the school will engage in art and design and technology weeks. During these weeks, students will delve into the six art topics. This approach aims to provide children with an immersive experience, allowing them extended time to focus on their creative endeavours.

Art and design are integrated into the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, with evidence documented in floor books. Each student from Year 1 to Year 6 maintains their own art book, featuring work from every lesson. Prior to each topic, children design a dedicated page, specifying the topic name, key vocabulary, and knowledge notes. This page serves as a reference, allowing students to anticipate their learning and revisit information to aid their work.

Teachers assess students by identifying those who excel and those requiring additional support, recording observations accordingly.

Implementation: 

The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:

  1.  Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
  2.  Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
  3.  Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
  4.  Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

At St Clare’s Primary School, the Art and Design Curriculum, guided by the CUSP framework, is meticulously implemented to provide a structured and enriching educational experience. It also aligns closely with the teaching and learning policy. Our approach to teaching begins by revisiting prior lessons, establishing a robust foundation upon which new knowledge can be built. Through engaging activities, we demonstrate key concepts, encouraging children to apply their understanding creatively. As lessons progress, we continuously reinforce and expand upon this foundational knowledge, ensuring a coherent and well-structured learning journey. Throughout the teaching sequence, deliberate planning allows for planned opportunities for pupils to revisit and reinforce previously acquired skills and concepts, fostering deeper understanding and retention. Lessons are seamlessly interconnected, facilitating a progressive build-up of vocabulary and skills. Explanations are delivered with precision, following cognitive load theory, enabling pupils to articulate their understanding effectively. Utilising effective modelling and worked examples, we support pupils in consolidating their knowledge and skills. Pupils not only comprehend the purpose and intention behind each task but also engage actively and positively in the learning process. Their evident desire to explore and learn further underscores the effectiveness of our approach. Within each learning sequence, pupils develop essential knowledge and inquiry skills, nurturing a holistic understanding of art and design. Through this comprehensive approach, we aim to install in our students a lifelong appreciation for creativity and a passion for continuous learning.

Assessment 

The assessment of pupils is formative based on pupil outcomes and questioning from each lesson. The following are used to assess pupils’ knowledge and application of artistic techniques and their understanding and use of artistic vocabulary. 

  • Expectations for each block are made explicit in the planning, e.g. At the end of this block pupils will know marks can be made using a variety of drawing tools and will be able to select appropriate tools and make a range of marks. 
  • The Point of Reflection section specifies the expected outcome for each lesson. 
  • The Questions for Assessment section in each block provide specific questions to be used with pupils to elicit their level of understanding of tools, techniques and effects, e.g. What happens if you change the size of the mark? 
  • The Oracy and Vocabulary tasks on slide five provide ample opportunities for teachers to evaluate pupils’ ability to: – use artistic language effectively; 
  • Explain artistic techniques and processes; 
  • Evaluate their own and others’ work. 
  • The vocabulary quiz on slide six provides an opportunity for teachers to assess pupils’ deeper understanding and application of artistic and technical vocabulary covered in the block. 
  • The exemplifications demonstrate the expected standard against which teachers can assess pupils’ work. 

The best form of assessment in art is in-action, while pupils are working. This helps us to understand pupils’ development as artists, rather than their ability to produce a prescribed end outcome. By encouraging pupils to articulate their thinking and reflections, we can understand which aspects of artistic development they may require additional teaching in and reshape teaching to support this.

Teaching of Art and Design Technology in Early Years Foundation Stage                                                                    

In Early years, Art and Design plays a very important role in their development. Children are taught to represent their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through art and design. They safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. We have clearly set out checkpoints with our Early Years Foundation Stage. 

Teaching of Art and Design in Key Stage 1

Pupils are taught to;

  • 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 know 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.

Teaching of Art and Design in 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 should be 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]
  • To learn about great artists, architects and designers in history.

Impact: 

Children will be become creative learners, who have a web of knowledge about the great artists of the world. Creativity and uniqueness will be celebrated and children will become astute at editing and improving the pieces they have created. As teachers, there will be an emphasis placed on individuality and children will be given the freedom to explore art using their imaginations. Children will have embedded the key art and design skills needed to allow them to produce inventive pieces of art.  

Art and Design weeks:

At St Clare’s, we’ve implemented a structured approach to our art and design curriculum by organising them into dedicated blocks rather than dispersing them weekly throughout the term. This strategic decision is rooted in several advantages. Firstly, concentrating these subjects into blocks allows students to delve deeper into their creative processes, fostering a more immersive and focused learning experience. With extended periods dedicated solely to art and DT, students have the opportunity to engage in more complex projects, experiment with various techniques, and refine their skills. By structuring our Art and Design curriculum into dedicated blocks, we aim to cultivate students’ creativity, critical thinking, and practical skills in a manner that is both enriching and adaptable to the demands of a diverse learning environment.

Art and Design LTP-Art and Design LTP

EY Checkpoints-EYFS Checkpoints