Art
"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."
Thomas Merton
"The arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do if there is free time or if one can afford it. Rather, paintings and poetry, music and fashion, design and dialogue, they all define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation."
Michelle Obama
Intent
- To ignite a lifelong passion for art by providing engaging and imaginative artistic experiences.
- To nurture sensory awareness through exploration of colors, textures, and a diverse range of artistic materials.
- To develop fine motor skills through activities like drawing, painting, sculpture, and collage.
- To empower self-expression, enabling students to effectively communicate their thoughts and emotions through their artwork.
Implementation
At Ursuline Catholic Primary School, our Art & Design curriculum meets the national curriculum's statutory needs and is designed to meet the needs of all our children. Art and design is valued as an important part of children's entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum at Ursuline, and is planned to continually build upon disciplinary and substantive knowledge. We provide opportunities for our children to express their own thoughts and ideas.
At Ursuline, we encourage our children to be inspired by the work of culturally diverse, great artists from the past and the present, both local and from further afield, as well as inspiring designers and architects.
We strive to ensure that pupils understand that everyone can be an artist in their own right and take pride in, and value, their creativity.
At Ursuline Catholic Primary School, we follow this sequence of learning throughout each Art & Design topic:
RESEARCH
EXPERIMENT
PLAN
CREATE
REFLECT
Sketch books are an important tool for our children to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas, especially in Key Stage 2. Teaching and learning of Art and Design will take account of the children's previous learning and their experiences. Evidence of this will be in their sketch book, which will go through the school with the child to enable them to reflect on their creative journey and the disciplinary knowledge explored.
In Reception, we begin teaching our children art through developing their disciplinary and substantive knowledge as described in the EYFS curriculum area of ‘Expressive Arts and Design’ by providing opportunities for children to explore and develop mark making and colour mixing with a range of media and through the modelling of drawing and painting.
Impact
- Confident Self-Expression: Students gain confidence in expressing themselves through art, enriching their self-esteem and self-awareness.
- Enhanced Fine Motor Skills: Fine motor skills developed through art activities such as drawing, painting, and sculpting contribute to their overall dexterity and coordination.
- Creative Thinkers: Our curriculum encourages creativity, nurturing students to become innovative thinkers across all facets of their education.
- Joyful Learning: The enjoyment and enthusiasm for art that students experience in our program create a positive and vibrant learning environment that extends far beyond the art room.