Art & Design
Subject Leader - Mrs Howarth
At St. Mary’s and St. Benedict’s Primary School, we are committed to providing all children with learning opportunities to engage in Art. Our high-quality Art curriculum aims to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum in an exciting, inclusive and challenging way. We follow the National Curriculum objectives for Art and have adapted the curriculum cycle to suit our needs as a school.
The purpose of our Art education is to give pupils the skills, concepts and knowledge necessary for them to express their responses to ideas and experiences in a visual or tactile form. It fires their imagination and is a fundamental means of personal expression.
While it is essentially a practical subject, Art should provide opportunities for reflection and, with increasing sensitivity, pupils should acquire the ability to make informed, critical responses to their own work and that of others. There is great pleasure to be derived from Art through deeper understanding; pupils can gain access to cultural richness and diversity. The appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts enriches all of our lives.
From EYFS to Year 6, the children have the opportunity to progress their skills in drawing, colour, texture, form, printing and pattern, building on the previous years’ learning. We ensure that there are opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills, techniques and knowledge in each lesson and we build planned progression into the scheme of work so that the children are increasingly challenged as they move up through the school.
From Years 1-6, children work in their own sketch book. These are used as working documents to record their observations, carry out artist research and review and revisit ideas and concepts.
The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:
- 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.
Artists
We use a variety of artists throughout school, ranging from Vincent Van Gogh to Gustav Klimt. To view the artists we use in each year group, please click on our Art and Design progression document.
SEND Pupils
For further information on how we cater for the needs of SEND pupils, please visit our SEND page and refer to our SEND policy.
Useful websites
Here are some useful websites you can access with your child. Just click on the image to access them: