We are passionate about providing our children with a wide range of opportunities to explore and develop their artistic talents. Art and Design is enjoyable, relaxing and gives children a chance to be creative! During art activities, children learn to express feelings and emotions, with or without words and discover that there is more than one right answer. There are many ways to produce art, so everyone can feel proud of their artistic creations.

Creative Art & Design activities are planned for throughout the Early Years so that  children are able to develop their skills through exploration of the world around them and the natural environment. In Key Stage 1 & 2, each year group studies one Art and Design unit per term, alternating with Design Technology. We have broken down the requirements of the National Curriculum programmes of study into these units to ensure there is full coverage of a range of areas of art, including drawing skills, painting skills, sculpture, printing, working with textiles and collage.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-art-and-design-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-art-and-design-programmes-of-study​

Implementation

The Art and Design curriculum is taught throughout the different phases, EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. In order to ensure that the subject is woven into various aspects of school life, teachers plan a range of different activities that not only take place in art lessons but across different subjects as well. The curriculum map gives great detail into the coverage in which we strive to give pupils during their time at the school.

EYFS:

Children are able to explore Art and Design activities through continuous provision that is carefully planned to meet the needs of children at each stage of their development. The curriculum is linked to a central theme or story and enables children to become immersed in the topic.  

Key stage 1:

At the Sherwood, pupils are taught to develop a wide range of techniques using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.  We encourage pupils to think creatively, develop their imagination and share new ideas during Art and Design lessons. Children are taught to appreciate the works of artists from a diverse background in order to increase their love for the subject and develop their observational skills. Pupils are also encouraged to use a wide range of materials and media to develop key skills during art lessons. They are also taught how to creatively use different colour mixing techniques when using wet and dry media.

Key stage 2:

Pupils in Key Stage 2, are taught to use a range of materials and media such as different types of pencils, charcoal, paints and clay in order to improve their mastery of art and design techniques. Lessons are planned to ensure that pupils become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpting and other art, craft and design techniques. Pupils are taught to use sketch books to record ideas and experiment with different art forms including, collage, printing and sculpting. They are also encouraged to learn about diverse artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms. Across the Art and Design curriculum, Pupils are given the opportunity to use performance arts to enhance their learning through role play and dance. As pupils progress in Art and Design lessons, they are taught to think critically and develop an understanding of how the Art and Design curriculum has shaped our history, and contributed to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Impact:

At the Sherwood, children's progression and attainment in art is continually assessed through a variety of methods, such as providing ongoing teacher feedback throughout a lesson or project, self-assessment and peer-assessment.  Children’s progress is recorded in sketchbooks, which allows them to review and improve their skills throughout the year. Formative assessment will also be used to establish if pupils can demonstrate their skills and techniques independently whilst still finding enjoyment in the subject. Discussions about a range of artistic genres and styles may be used to assess children’s understanding and to allow teachers to address any misconceptions. This is reported to parents in end of year reports.

We are proud to be a UNICEF Rights Respecting School, therefore we encourage and promote children to express their thoughts, be creative and celebrate their successes through Art and Design.

Please see the curriculum map attached for further detail about our Art curriculum at The Sherwood. For further details of what your child will be learning in Art and Design this term please refer to their year group’s ‘Class Page’.