The Art curriculum covers the elements of art, craft and design.
Art
The skills and understanding that relate to Fine Art, such as: drawing, painting, printmaking, photography and sculpture etc.
Craft
The skills and understanding that relate to traditional crafts, such as: pottery and textiles, etc.
Design
The skills and understanding that relate to Graphic Design, such as: the layout of posters and other printed or digital media.
The aim of the Art curriculum is not only to foster a lifelong enjoyment of art and art practice but to develop the creative skills relevant for careers within the Creative Arts Industries.
Progress Objectives
Students will learn about materials, techniques and processes; developing skills in the selection and handling of materials; and displaying knowledgeable discrimination in the creative choices they make. All of this is supported within the four Progress Objectives that define learning in the subject.
Generating Ideas – (Creativity)
Designing and Development
Which promotes – research, observation, imagining, ideas, originality, perception, investigation, exploration, experimentation, composition, planning, analysis, visualising, organisation, modelling, testing, problem solving, innovation, thinking and acting creatively…
Making – (Skill)
Making Art, Craft and Design
Which promotes – technique, skill, control, quality, judgement, competency, expression, tactile and sensory response, interaction, purpose, investigation, exploiting properties of materials, media and techniques, line, shape, tone, colour texture, space and form, thinking and acting creatively…
Evaluating – (Understanding)
Making Judgments
Which promotes – literate and reasoned critical thinking and response, analysis, interpretation, perception, knowledgeable judgement, independence, aesthetic understanding, speaking, listening, technical understanding, making meaning and making connections, spiritual, moral, social, and cultural understanding…
Knowledge – (Understanding)
Knowledge of process and context
Which promotes – critical, contextual, technical and aesthetic understanding, breadth, process actions and outcomes, medium and media ,meaning, purpose, interaction, knowledge of art and artists, periods, genres, styles, movements, crafts, makers, form and function, design, architecture, artist, designer, historic, contemporary, cultural artefacts and products…
KS2
Year 5 is taught by KS2 class teachers. A scheme of work and advice have been provided to them by the Art Department. Year 6 is taught by a specialist Art Teacher. In KS2 the aim is to build on the natural enjoyment that children have in creative activities. Students will be given the opportunity to develop art skills in both 2D and 3D media, to work from observation and imagination, and begin to develop awareness of different artists and art styles.
KS3
The breadth offered at KS3 is designed to give pupils a firm basis in their use of media, their selection of techniques and their response to the work of others in preparation for the requirements and methodology use in KS4.
Students will create a better understanding of the processes and methods of creating art through awareness of the elements and principles of art while developing and celebrating their creativity.
Students learn to use their sketchbooks as a visual aid in developing ideas towards the creation of major artworks. In addition to their class sketchbook and to encourage independent learning, students are given a ‘mini sketchbook’ for both home and school use. This is to aid in the development of visual thinking, creativity and the general enjoyment of art practice.
The Relevance of the Art Curriculum
Extract from A MANIFESTO FOR ART, CRAFT AND DESIGN EDUCATION – 2014 by The National Society for Education in Art & Design (NSEAD)
Why is art, craft and design education vital to our cultures, our society, our economy and ourselves?
It supports personal, social, moral, spiritual, cultural and creative development.
It provides children, young people and lifelong learners with regular opportunities to think imaginatively and creatively and develop confidence in other subjects and life skills.
It has a crucial role at the centre of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; moving STEM into STEAM fosters creativity, innovation, and economic growth. Art, craft and design supports and services other subjects, industries and sectors.
It is concerned with making critical judgements based on a sound knowledge of a variety of contexts; judgements about cultural values, cultural history, aesthetics, quality, craftsmanship and fitness for purpose.
In life ‘knowing how’ is just as important as ‘knowing that’. Art, craft and design introduces participants to a range of intellectual and practical skills. It enables learners to use and understand the properties of a wide range of tools, machines, materials and systems.
It provides an introduction to potential careers in the visual arts and creative, heritage, cultural and digital and design media industries, sectors that are contributing significantly to the UK’s economy and reputation on a competitive international world-class platform.
Many young people come to the UK to study art craft and design. Art, craft and design enables participants to engage with and explore visual, tactile and other sensory experiences and how to recognise and communicate ideas and meanings.
These opportunities enable them to work with traditional and new media, so that they develop confidence, competence, imagination and creativity. Through these opportunities they learn to appreciate and value images and artefacts across times and cultures, and to understand the contexts in which they were made. Experiences in art, craft and design enable them to learn how to reflect critically on their own and others’ work. They learn to think and act as artists, makers and designers, working creatively and intelligently. They develop an appreciation of and engagement in art, craft and design as critical consumers and audiences and an understanding of its role in the creative and cultural industries that shape and enrich their lives. Art, craft and design provides an opportunity for and engagement in leisure pursuits that can yield lifelong benefits in health, wellbeing and life satisfaction. It enriches children and young people’s experience of school and college life. Most children and young people find it enjoyable and motivating, helping to develop positive attitudes to school and life beyond formal education.
Art, craft and design provides an opportunity for and engagement in leisure pursuits that can yield lifelong benefits in health, wellbeing and life satisfaction.
It enriches children and young people’s experience of school and college life. Most children and young people find it enjoyable and motivating, helping to develop positive attitudes to school and life beyond formal education.
Assessing Achievement
Students’ achievement in Art is evaluated through a simplification of the Progress Objectives outlined above. They are accessed on Skill, Understanding and Creativity. This helps students to understand how each art activity involves the use of skill, understanding and creativity to a greater or lesser extent. It also encourages students who feel that their traditional art skills (e.g. observational drawing) are poor, to still enjoy art activities while developing further their understanding and creativity. Class work is balanced between activities that develop skill and those that help foster creativity.
Students’ work is assess to the age related expectation in Skill, Understanding and Creativity.
Diagram to both celebrate their achievements and to highlight which element they need to develop to progress further in Art.
5 = well above expectation
4 = above expectation
3 = at expectation
2 = below expectation
1 = well below expectation
Cross-curricular Links
In KS2, where appropriate, the subject matter or cultural context of the Art curriculum is taken from topics students are studying in other curriculum areas, such as English, History and PSHE.
In KS3 there is a direct link with Design Technology (DT). While the outcomes are different, Art and DT share a similar development and assessment criteria. Work in Art may directly feed into a Design Technology project and the skills learnt in DT are used to support the craft element of Art.
If you would like more information regarding our Art curriculum, please email: admin@ralphsadleir.academy
