Art and Design

‘Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.’ – Mary Lou Cook
 
Intent
What does the Art and Design curriculum intend to do?
 
At Palmarsh Primary School, we value the importance of Art and Design. It is our children’s entitlement to be able to share and express their individual creativity, independence, resilience, and self-reflection. It is our intent to provide all children with the fundamental skills, techniques and knowledge needed to independently create their own unique drawings, paintings, sculptures, and crafts. We want the children to have a natural sense of wonder and curiosity when studying a wide variety of artwork. We empower children to discover great artists that will enable them to explore their own and other’s cultural heritages.
We give the children the time and space to explore new themes, new sensations, and ways to be creative without the need to be perfect. At Palmarsh, we believe that the process takes precedence over the product. We want our children to see the enjoyment and satisfaction in the process of producing art. It is through the children’s personalised experience of art at Palmarsh, that we enable the children to feel safe, secure, and happy, to produce their most creative work.

Implementation
 How is the curriculum implemented?

The teaching and implementation of the Art and Design Curriculum at Palmarsh Primary School is based on the National Curriculum, and linked to topics to ensure a well-structured approach to this creative subject. Art is taught every other half term alternating with Design and Technology. We teach a skills-based art curriculum, which allows the children to express their creative imagination as well as providing them with the opportunities to practice and develop mastery in the key processes of art. This is supported through the studying of key artists and the development of a knowledge of their work. Also, in our long-term plan, important links have carefully been made to help the children see the integral role art plays in our everyday lives, our community, in history and the wider world.
The pupils’ learning is further enhanced with whole school ‘Big Art’ days when the children have the opportunity for collaborative working and exploring the different styles and techniques and expertise from local artists.
To further supplement our Art and Design curriculum, we also run an Arts and Crafts after school club for children who want to develop their interest further.
 
Impact
What progress will children make?
 
By the end of each Key Stage, all children can apply and understand the skills, knowledge and processes they have been taught.
Children are monitored on a regular basis to check progress.  We encourage all children to take responsibility for their own and their peers learning.  Assessment strategies such as post it note galleries will allow children to reflect on their own and other’s work. When peer marking in this context children are encouraged to comment on each other’s work using vocabulary related to the skills taught, evaluation, self-assessments, the use of talk partners and the end of unit teacher/pupil evaluation.  Through these both children and adults are able to recognise the progress being made.
Most importantly, children will leave Palmarsh knowing that it is okay to make mistakes along their journey, they will think for themselves and be critical about their own and other’s work- knowing how they can improve it or knowing when to stop if they are satisfied with their creative work.