Art & Design

Key Stage 1

In Years 1 and 2 Art and Design stimulates the minds of our pupils and allows them to be creative and imaginative. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a way of understanding and responding to the world. The children are able to use practical and visual skills in their work.

Activities include:

• Exploring a range of starting points for practical work
• Painting detailed picture of the children’s own homes
• Making a 3D Lego model house
• Producing a 3D model of their bedroom in a shoe box
• Studying the differences and similarities in the work of artists such as Paul Klee, Lowry and Matisse
• Experiencing a wide range of media such as oil pastels, water colour, chalk and charcoal
• Using music as a stimulus to paint a picture

Tactile media is also used, for example, collage, clay to make candle holders at Christmas, paper mache for African mask making and wax resist for African bracelets. As children develop they become more self-critical and are able to see how their work can be developed or enhanced. Through encouragement and guidance it is important that all children feel they have succeeded and are proud of their finished product.

Children develop the ability to discuss and evaluate their own work in a way that will develop their work and that of others further in a constructive but critical manner developing vocabulary and opinions. They take pride in showing off their masterpieces to their peers!

Key Stage 2

In Years 3 to 6 the focus of Art and Design is to develop a greater knowledge and understanding of the subject. The subject provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a way of understanding and responding to the world.

Activities include:

• Exploring a range of starting points for practical work, eg ‘Themselves’
• Studying portraits by famous artists such as Van Gogh and Leonardo da Vinci
• Working on pupils’ own self-portraits
• Comparing differences and similarities in the work of artists
• Creating jewellery such as Celtic jewellery

A range of materials, including clay, are used to produce elaborate initials on tiles.

William Morris, a well-known local textile designer is studied in Year 6 and detailed work is produced in his style of design using painting, pencils, pastels and sewing stitches to enhance the pupils’ work.

Pupils are taught to review what they and others have done and say what they think and feel about it, and to identify what they might change in their current work or develop in their future work. They develop the ability to discuss and evaluate work in a constructive and critical manner developing vocabulary and opinions.