‘We Are Artists’ at Powers Hall Academy 

Intent

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Pablo Picasso

The National Curriculum states that children 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.’

At Powers Hall Academy, we value art as one of the highest forms of human creativity and as an important part of our children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. We recognise that art should engage, inspire and challenge pupils whilst equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art. Through teaching and learning about great artists and designers, and the works they have created, our pupils will know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation and the world in which they live.

The intent of our art curriculum is to deliver a curriculum which is accessible to all and that will maximise the development of every child’s ability and academic achievement in the area of Art. All children are given the opportunity to experience colour mixing, printing techniques and use of textiles and construction materials throughout the year. We value the use of sketch books and design books for children to produce ideas, build upon designs and evaluate their finished products.

Implementation

At Powers Hall Academy, the teaching and implementation of the Art and Design Curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and is planned using Curriculum Maestro Cornerstones Curriculum 22 model.

Art and design projects are mainly placed alongside other subject projects where there are opportunities for making meaningful connections. For example, projects are linked to the core theme of each term to enhance the pupils’ understanding of the key historical or geographical concepts covered. The project ‘Beautiful Botanicals’ has been placed in the same teaching sequence as the science project Plant Nutrition and Reproduction.

Seasons are also a consideration for the placement of art and design projects. For example, if children are required to work outdoors, these projects have been placed in either the latter part of the spring or summer term. Where appropriate, Art and Design projects may also be linked to a community or cultural issue to engage our artists in the world around them and to help them understand the role that they play as an individual.

Impact

By the time children leave Powers Hall Academy, we want them to have developed a passion for art and creativity, working both independently and collaboratively. They will have experienced a wide range of works of art, using technical vocabulary to talk about these. They will have grown in confidence when using a range of tools and techniques, becoming artists that can apply the skills and knowledge that they have developed throughout the years and respond critically to their own and other’s work.

The impact of our Art curriculum is that the majority of children are able to:

• 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.
• By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study

Our art and design curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. We define progress in art as children ‘knowing and being able to do more’. Our curriculum provides opportunities to see what knowledge children have retained and what skills they have mastered. For example, the chart below, from our curriculum, shows how children’s use of pencil, ink, charcoal and pen progresses over time to enable children to know and do more in this aspect of art and design.