WITHERIDGE Academy - Vision for Art

Purpose of Art and Design:

To develop human creativity. The pupils are to be engaged, inspired and challenged. Give them knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create.

Progress to:

Thinking critically. Gain an understanding of art and design. Reflect on how it shapes our history and contributes to culture, creativity and wealth of the nation.

 

Aims of Art and Design:

· Produce creative work

· Explore their own ideas

· Record their experiences

· Become proficient at drawing, painting, sculpting

· Become proficient at general art, craft and design techniques

· Evaluate and analyse creative works using artistic language

· Know about great artists, craft makers and designers

· Understand historical and cultural developments of art forms

By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.

 

Intent

Art, craft and design is a practical and creative subject. Through their active participation pupils learn to explore their imagination, generate ideas, acquire skills and apply judgement. It is also a subject in which pupils develop their knowledge and understanding as well as their skills. They learn about the materials and techniques they use and about the world of art, craft and design, recognising the achievements of artists, designers and craftspeople from many different times and cultures.

Art, craft and design is a subject that gives pupils the opportunity to express ideas attitudes and values. It is a means of communication that plays a significant role in our lives and which pupils will have used from a very early age. It develops and encourages critical and creative thinking. As such it lends itself readily to enriching, extending and consolidating learning in a variety of curriculum contexts. The subject often contributes to cross-curricular programmes and to various events and activities in the school calendar. These opportunities support learning in art, craft and design. However, the knowledge, skills and understanding that are necessary to make appropriate progress in the subject need to be planned and developed systematically. Pupils require sufficient time to develop mastery of skills and opportunities to create learning outcomes.

Art, craft and design is a subject that engages with pupils’ imagination and which values originality. It provides opportunities to celebrate and explore feelings and ideas expressed by pupils and by the artists, designers and crafts people that are studied. Teaching and learning takes place most effectively in an environment that celebrates innovation and is sensitive to personal feelings, values and attitudes.

Drawing is fundamental to learning and expression in all aspects of art, craft and design. Drawing can be precise and accurate or expressive and descriptive, able to convey subtle nuances of meaning. Drawing is used to research, record and gather information from observation, memory and other visual sources. Drawing helps to organise thinking and give form to imaginative ideas, as well as being used to solve problems. Drawing also communicates ideas and meaning and can be both a fundamental part of the design and development process, as well as a creative product itself.

 

Implementation (Planning) and Impact (Assessment):

The National Curriculum The National Curriculum introduced for September 2014 does not define curriculum content, specify what must be taught, or significantly prescribe content in the form of techniques, areas of experience, genres or artistic movements. These are all matters for schools to decide for themselves. However, the National Curriculum does define four essential aims for the subject. The National Curriculum for Art and Design (2014) has the following aims.

That all pupils should:

1. Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences

2. Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques

3. Evaluate and analyse artistic works using the language of art, craft and design

4. Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical development of their art forms

 

The Framework

Our planning and assessment framework uses the four National Curriculum aims to define four distinct progress objectives. These are used throughout this guidance to ensure consistency across planning, teaching and assessment. Like the National Curriculum aims, these progress objectives arise from the key ideas that have always been at the heart of teaching and learning in art, craft and design. There is, therefore, continuity with previous good practice in the subject. The four progress objectives are:

1. Generating Ideas: The skills of designing and developing ideas

2. Making: The skills of making art, craft and design

3. Evaluating: The skills of judgement and evaluation

4. Knowledge: Knowledge of both technical process and cultural context

 

Although teaching and learning in art will normally be holistic in practice, the progress objectives are separated out here for planning and assessment purposes.