Why do we teach Art and Design in our school?  

At Sudley Primary School, we believe that Art and Design is a fundamental and integral part of children’s education. It provides them with opportunities to share and express their individual creativity and imagination, while learning about and making links with a wide spectrum of different types of art in our society. Art contributes to children’s personal development in independence, resilience and self-reflection; moreover, it enables them to develop a natural sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them. Our Art curriculum develops children’s critical abilities and understanding of their own and others’ cultural heritages through studying a diverse range of artists and designers through history. They develop understanding of the language of art through an engaging, ambitious, accessible and practical curriculum, which enables our children to reach their full potential.    

How is Art and Design taught in our school? 

Art and Design is taught using the objectives from the National Curriculum to build upon prior knowledge. From very early on, sketchbook work is an integral part of developing skills, ideas, creativity and ownership of their work. During term 1, all children will complete a unit with a focus on paint, moving onto a drawing focus in term 2. In the final term, children will complete a multi-media art unit, involving printing, sculpture, collage, textiles and weaving. All units of work are based around a significant artist, illustrator, designer or architect. Each unit is carefully planned to build on prior learning and children revisit artistic concepts through retrieval practice and reviewing skills from previous lessons. Children are given the opportunity to independently practice skills and talk collaboratively about their own art work. We prioritise the teaching, understanding and utilisation of Artistic vocabulary so children feel confident to engage with and evaluate works of art.  

In Art and Design, we are committed to ensuring that all children, including those with additional needs, have equal access to the full curriculum. To achieve this, we implement a variety of tailored strategies and support structures, designed to meet each child’s unique needs. These include specialised resources, such adapted learning materials and approaches as well as scaffolded support to help students engage fully with the Art and Design curriculum. 

What will children get from the teaching of Art and Design? 

As a result of delivering a high-quality curriculum, all children will have embedded key knowledge and skills to produce creative work. Children will understand and demonstrate artistic skills through the work produced, developing a mastery of Art and Design, evidenced in their sketchbooks. Children will be reflective and have the skills to evaluate their own and others work, thinking about the changes they could make and the impact their art work has.