Statement of Intent

At Beech Hill we believe that a full and rounded curriculum, which allows children to explore and experience all subjects, is vital to ensure that children become lifelong learners with a true thirst and desire for knowledge and experience. For this reason, Art plays an important part of our school curriculum. Art is taught through the different topics that each class explores over the school year. Children in all classes are encouraged to be imaginative in their art work and this is celebrated in displays throughout the school.

Purpose of study

Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Aims

The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils: 

• produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences

• become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques 

• evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design

• know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

Early Years

Early Learning Goal for Expressive arts and design: Exploring and using media and materials –

sing songs, make music and dance, and experiment with ways of changing them

safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.

Early Learning Goal for Expressive arts and design

Being imaginative -

Use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about uses and purposes.  Represent their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role play and stories.

Key Stage 1

Begin to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products

Use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination

to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space

Talk about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.

Key Stage 2

Pupils should be taught to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.

Pupils should be taught:

to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas

to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials [for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay.

About great artists, architects and designers in history in all classes are encouraged to be imaginative in their art work and many of the pieces are displayed around the class and school.