Art & Design

Subject Lead:  Mr Andrew Cooke andrew.cooke@allsoulsschool,co.uk 

The curriculum for Art & Design at All Souls builds upon the programme of study outlined in the National Curriculum for England which can be found here. 

What is our vision for Art & Design at All Souls?

At All Souls Catholic Primary School, we believe that every child is an artist and should be given ample opportunities to develop in their own creativity, freedom of expression and individual flair. From the earliest years at All Souls, we work to inspire individuals to make connections through their innovative minds, whilst providing opportunities for the children to develop key skills to record their imagination and ideas. We encourage individual expression and visual thinking, which in turn helps the children learn across the curriculum. Art contributes to children’s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement, and self-reflection; enabling pupils to develop a natural sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them. Beyond the key skills developed through our art curriculum, we also seek ample opportunities to expose children to a range of artists in all units that they will explore, providing inspirational pieces that can then be used as motivation for their own creative pursuits.

Further than the National Curriculum aims to provide children with an art curriculum, at All Souls, we believe it is not just for the children’s development of skills but also their own mindfulness and well-being. Through providing opportunities for the children to express their own individuality and creativity they are able to express thoughts without the need for words but also explore the world around them through observations and make sense of situations. We understand that for some children art is the saving grace of a curriculum that can otherwise focus on their ability to comprehend and use academic skill, instead being able to engage in open-ended activities whereby individuality is celebrated, and personal flair encouraged.

How do we achieve this vision?

In all year groups we work ensure high standards of teaching and learning in art, by implementing a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Art is taught as units that have a focused outcome with skills to be developed. Whilst there is always an intent and expected outcome, how the children choose to present, create and the use of materials is down to each individual pupil. These choices are encouraged and supported.

The art curriculum at All Souls, whilst having its foundations from the 2014 Primary National Curriculum in England, aims to provide a broad, inspirational framework that outlines the knowledge and skills taught in each Key Stage. The subject lead supports and works alongside class teachers to plan lessons for their class using a progression of knowledge and skills document. This progression document ensures the curriculum is covered and the skills/knowledge taught is progressive from year group to year group and provides a level of challenge whilst being inclusive for all.

Art provides excellent opportunities to enhance the learning of all pupils, including those who are gifted, those with SEND, children with EAL and the most disadvantaged as all pupils are given equal opportunities to explore resources, utilise their own ideas and develop finished pieces of artwork with choice in independent outcomes.

We provide a variety of opportunities for art learning inside and outside the classroom including our outdoor environments and local places to visit. This includes the Herbert Art Gallery which has been used as a local visit to take the art curriculum outside of the school grounds and elicit an appreciation for current and historic pieces of art. Much of the time, these visits include hands-on experience of developing skills with specialist artists.

At All Souls, the youngest children in Nursery are given access to mark making resources where they can explore colour and learn how theses colours can be changed. They are encouraged to express feelings through their art, whilst capturing experiences and responses with a wide range of media. This is further developed in Reception class, where children begin to create simple representations of events, people and objects, choosing particular colours and textures for their purpose.

In KS1 the children begin to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, and form. There are planned opportunities to study  the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, developing in confidence to describe the differences and similarities between different practices and making links to their own work; whilst beginning to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination.

In KS2, our children develop sketching with a range of pencils, portrait drawing skills, collaging and pastel work. They look at a range of buildings, silhouettes and illustration, using these as an inspiration for their own pieces. Children are encouraged to spend time reflecting on their art and improving aspects of it, as well as taking a multimedia approach to a lot of their application. They are also encouraged to plan and retry pieces to refine and practice their skills.

As the children progress through school, art experiences are built upon so the children feel confident and able to make decisions about their approach to different challenges and make decisions surrounding how they wish to record and create their artwork.

How does this impact our children?

At All Souls we value art because it contributes to the development of the whole child emotionally, artistically, spiritually, intellectually and socially. It creates, in the child, a sense of enjoyment, a sense of purpose as well as providing children with a unique way of perceiving themselves. It also increases the range of opportunities we provide for children to achieve.

Within art, we strive to create a supportive and cooperative ethos for learning by providing explicit teaching accompanied by investigative based learning opportunities. This will ensure children gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of each unit of work covered throughout the school.

At its core, our art and design curriculum guarantees children will be able to clearly progress, demonstrating their increasing knowledge and skills as they move through our phases with a passion for producing unique, independent pieces inspired by the work of incredible artists.  Throughout the year groups, self-evaluation of work is encouraged, and children are supported to develop resilience to achieve their goals. In all lessons, children are given the opportunities to engage with in-depth discussions about their own and others’ artwork and develop a sense of their own personal style.

We look to the children’s sketchbooks, independent art pieces and children’s responses as well as their commitment to developing their own flair to demonstrate the impact of our curriculum. Children leaving All Souls will have the skills they need to access a variety of art forms, self-evaluate and improve their own pieces of artwork and have the confidence to creatively follow their own path when completing artistic pursuits with the knowledge that they are all artists and all able to express themselves in their own unique way.

Art and Design Curriculum Map