Art & Design Vision Statement
What is the vision for Art & Design at The Phoenix Primary School and Nursery?
Intent
At the Phoenix Primary School and Nursery, we value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. Art and Design provides the children with the opportunity to express their individual interests, thought and ideas. At our school, we want our children to love art, craft and design! We want them to have no limits to their ambitions. Indeed, some may eventually wish to pursue careers as illustrators, graphic designers, fashion designers, architects or printmakers.
As pupils progress, they should gain a deeper understanding of how Art and Design reflects and shapes the history of our culture and those of other societies around the world. In our school, children learn that art can tell a story and spread an important message. By learning to interrogate art, children can identify its meaning and interpret a piece of art work in their own unique way. Interpreting art allows the children to explore the issue of climate change. The children are exposed to works of art that convey concern and promote action over climate change. Children are given an opportunity to produce art of a similar nature. For example, through junk modelling and creating art in the natural environment. In addition, through exploring the work of artists, children develop the core values of respect and empathy.
We want our children to use the local area as inspiration, to learn from other cultures and to respect diversity. We want to equip our children with not only the minimum statutory requirements of the Art and Design National Curriculum but to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
How is this vision for Art & Design to be achieved?
Implementation
Throughout their time at the Phoenix Primary School and Nursery, the children are given a range of opportunities to explore a wide variety of materials and techniques. They develop their skills and thinking as young artists, using the ‘Kapow Primary’ scheme which forms the basis of our Art and Design curriculum.
Each half-term focuses on a different Art and Design skills:
The curriculum is progressive and so allows the children to build on skills, knowledge and techniques, year on year. Various media types are explored within each unit to give the widest possible range of experiences to all children. The materials and media used are revisited each year to ensure the progression of skills is properly embedded.
How does the school know if the Art curriculum has been effective?
Impact
The impact of this curriculum design will lead to outstanding progress over time across key stages relative to a child’s individual starting point and their progression of skills. Children will therefore be expected to leave The Phoenix Primary School and Nursery, reaching at least age-related expectations for Art and Design. Our Art and Design curriculum will also have pupils enthusiastic about art, evidenced in what they say and in their final pieces and sketchbooks. This will mean that all our pupils will be well prepared to excel at art and design in secondary school, and for some to even eventually consider careers where artistic skills are key.
We ensure that children who are achieving well, as well as those who need additional support, are identified, and additional provision and strategies are planned in and discussed with class teachers.
Achievements are celebrated in classrooms via walking-galleries and corridor displays and also by developing opportunities to display in local community galleries.
Assessment: At the Phoenix Primary School and Nursery, we are able to measure the progress children have made in Art and Design by: