Art

WELCOME TO THE ART & DESIGN PAGE

Miss Ramsey - Art & Design Subject Leader

Art and Design

Art, craft and design reflects and shapes our history, and contributes to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation. Through their experiences of art, craft and design, children are able to explore both the natural and constructed world. The study of art and design enables children to appreciate and interpret what they observe, express what they think and feel in a creative way, experiment, invent and produce aesthetic responses to the visual and tactile qualities of that world.  Art and design not only provides a wealth of opportunities for each child to fulfil his/her fundamental human need to explore and make sense of the world but also offers a dynamic form of communication as no other subject can. It is both intellectually challenging and creatively demanding. Explicit learning about both the history and practicalities of art and design provides pupils with a vitally important visual language and develops critical thinking skills that can be extended within and beyond the wider curriculum. 

The curriculum at St Bede’s Catholic Junior School is underpinned by our faith in the Gospel values and Catholic Social Teaching. As such, we agree that artists, designers, architects and craft makers of every discipline ‘are the custodians of beauty, heralds and witnesses of hope for humanity.’ (Pope Francis, 2016).

Our Aims

At St Bede’s, we want all children to enjoy studying an engaging, empowering, inspiring and challenging art and design curriculum that develops their understanding of life, culture and values in the twenty-first century. We aim for children to:

• see themselves as artists and experience the pleasure of creating art irrespective of ability.
• express their feelings and explore their ideas through imaginative and creative two- and three-dimensional work, leading to a better understanding of themselves and their environment.
• produce work for a variety of purposes and audiences.
• develop skills and become competent in using a range of materials and techniques.
• develop observational skills, manipulative skills and an aesthetic awareness of the world around them.
• develop appreciation and evaluate the work of artists from their own and other cultures.
• develop a responsible attitude towards using and taking care of tools and materials.
• recognise the many purposes of art and design in the community and throughout history: representing nature, expressing feelings, embodying beauty and preserving or criticising social norms.

Our Curriculum Intent

The curriculum intent for Art and Design at St. Bede’s is linked to that set out by the National Curriculum but also takes account of our school’s unique environment, its Catholic ethos and the importance of Art and Design in supporting our pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. Major art forms include painting, sculpture, drawing and printmaking: these form the basis of our curriculum though pupils also have the opportunity to work using collage, textiles, ceramics and digital media as precursors to their work in secondary school and beyond. In addition to the practical knowledge of how to create art, craft and design, pupils at St. Bede’s also build a theoretical knowledge of the tools, materials and history of art, craft and design and acquire disciplinary knowledge of the ways in which art can be described, judged, valued and evaluated.

The Art and Design Subject Policy, key performance indicators and long-term planning (attached below) set out the specifics of our curriculum intent in detail.

Please also see the document entitled ‘Catholic Social Teaching in Art and Design’ to learn more about how our bespoke curriculum enhances pupils’ understanding of Catholic life and values.

Implementation: How Art and Design is taught and assessed at St. Bede’s

In addition to curriculum intentions, Art and Design at St Bede’s is delivered according to a set of teaching and learning intentions:

• Art and design is taught rigorously across the school.
• High expectations are set with regards to pupils’ attitudes, presentation and outcomes in all parts of the art and design process.
• Teachers demonstrate sufficient subject knowledge to deliver lessons to a high standard, particularly in the modelling of artistic language and providing of feedback: they develop a common classroom language for discussing, comparing and contrasting artwork.
• Partnerships are built with parents and carers and the wider artistic community to influence and build upon learning in school.
• Achievement and progress in Art and Design is celebrated within and beyond the classroom.
• Differentiation is flexible and not driven by perceived ability or prior attainment in other subjects. Next steps and support are provided based on subject-specific assessment.
• Teachers monitor learning but children can also self- and peer-assess their own work to promote ownership.

Please see the Art and Design Subject Policy to learn more about how Art and Design is planned, organised, delivered and assessed.

Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

 St. Bede’s Catholic Junior School is committed to equality of opportunity in all aspects of school life.  Through careful planning, the art and design curriculum is made accessible to all pupils and lessons are taught in line with the school’s Equality and Inclusion Policy. Children have access to every activity regardless of difference. The use and study of art work from a variety of cultures, western and non-western, provides excellent opportunities to help children develop an awareness and understanding of the issues of different abilities, race, gender, culture and religion, thereby helping them to overcome stereotyped images and bias.

Children with special educational needs and disabilities are provided with appropriately challenging work in art. Children are viewed as individuals, bringing their own ideas and experience to art and design.  By its very nature, the art and design curriculum caters for all needs, at whatever level.  All children are offered suitable and challenging tasks and are encouraged to develop the necessary skills in art and design with extra support where needed.  Art and design can provide a wonderful form of expression for children with additional requirements and can be a means of helping them to develop confidence in what they do. Art and design offers opportunities where these children may excel.

Some children, however, might find access to the subject challenging due to specific sensory impairment, motor control, cognitive limitations, limited personal experiences, language or behavioural difficulties, or a combination of these.  Teachers refer to the school’s SENDCo for guidance if/as necessary. Craft opportunities provided as part of the nurture curriculum offer further experience and support for pupils with specific barriers to learning in art and design.

Impact: How the Art and Design curriculum is evaluated and reviewed

The impact of Art and Design at St Bede’s is managed and evaluated systematically. Annually, school management plan objectives are set relating to improving outcomes in the subject following data analysis. Termly, the subject adviser conducts a work scrutiny to monitor curriculum and pupil progress. Teacher assessments are carried out regularly and data is collated once a term. Pupils are asked about their learning through pupil conferencing. The subject leader meets termly with subject leaders from other schools, who can act as ‘critical friends’. The subject leader also consults with colleagues and school governors within the ‘Arts and Humanities’ curriculum team to review and evaluate the impact of the curriculum and establish ongoing or emerging priorities.

This academic year (2023-24), we are focusing our efforts on the following SMARTER targets:

1. Closely examine and monitor the apparent gender gap in art and design through regular assessment and tracking of extra-curricular engagement: implement strategies to engage and support lower-attaining boys particularly.
2. Ensure that teaching and assessment of pupils’ theoretical and disciplinary knowledge is taking place alongside the acquisition of practical knowledge and skills: assess, monitor and intervene as necessary through termly (one-per-topic) assessment tasks and regular mini ‘deep dives’ with pupils.

Tate Gallery        Liverpool Museums        BBC Bitesize            Dot Art Schools

Picasso Head       Google Quick Draw           Auto-Draw

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