Art & Design
“I found I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.”
Georgia O’Keeffe
Why we teach Art & Design
At Egglescliffe CE Primary School, we believe that art, craft and design are an essential and integral part of our pupil’s education. It provides them with opportunities to develop a range of ways in which they can express their individual creativity in a visual or tactile form. It fires imagination, enabling pupils to respond to the world around them in a unique, individual way. Our aim is that pupils develop a natural sense of wonder and curiosity about the world and therefore this links strongly to the Christian values we promote, encourage and celebrate.
How we teach Art & Design
Our art curriculum is designed to develop proficiency in drawing, painting, textiles, printmaking and sculpture, with the overall aim of developing the ability to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art in all its forms. Through our unique curriculum design, we focus on the explicit teaching and modelling of core skills, recognising that these skills need constant reinforcement. A ‘closed project’ builds upon core knowledge and skills. For example, colour mixing/matching work will be linked to a study of the work of an artist, craftsperson or designer and how they have used colour for a specific purpose. An open project builds upon previously identified learning and give pupils the opportunity to explore, experiment and put this learning into a different context.
Art is taught as a subject in its own right, both as a discrete lesson and also as part of cross-curricular themes, when appropriate, to foster particular strengths and interests.
Exceptionality of Art & Design
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou
We actively seek wider opportunities to celebrate and experiment with different art forms through meaningful contexts, for example, whole school participation in the Spiritual Arts Project; collaborative artwork for the Eid Fusion Festival at Ropner Park; KS2 clay workshops, led by a ceramic artist from The Great Pottery Throwdown.
Theme weeks, such as Share One Book Week and Art’s Week, provide opportunities to practise and consolidate skills linked to a different context. Each year, we hold a gallery exhibition where the school community is invited to celebrate works of art created by our school artists around a shared theme. In our most recent exhibition, the children created artwork that celebrated our wonderful Earth and the connections that exist between us.
Art and Design at Egglescliffe Primary provides many opportunities to enrich children’s cultural capital. Exploring great artists, craftspeople and designers, gives an insight to many cultures from around the world, both in the present day and in that of the past.
Furthermore, it provides pupils with an insight as to how the world has been shaped today, a vital knowledge – aiming to foster an unbiased, prejudice-free perception of the world in which they live.
We also offer a curriculum which is reflective of our pupil’s heritage and ‘closer to home’ culture, including the study of local artists: Lucy Pittaway - painter; Anthony Gormley - sculptor and Lynn Bailey - textile artist.
Books used in Art & Design
- Henri and the Machine: Isabelle Marinov
- Ella in the Garden of Giverny: A Picture Book about Claude Monet
- The Looking Book: An interactive children’s activity book on art, artists and creativity
- The Dot by Peter by H. Reynolds
- Colour and Me! by Michaela Dias-Hayes
- Modern Art Explorer: Discover the stories behind artworks by Matisse, Kahlo and more..
- A History of Pictures for Children by David Hockney
Home Learning Recommendations
BBC Bitesize Art and Design - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z8tnvcw
Tate Kids - https://www.tate.org.uk/kids
National Gallery of Art - https://www.nga.gov/learn/kids-app.html/
The Artful Parent - https://artfulparent.com/kids-arts-crafts-activities-500-fun-artful-things-kids/
Land Art for Kids - http://www.landartforkids.com/
Art & Design Planning Overview
planning overview art design.pdf
