Implementation:
Across School, our Art and Design curriculum is taught through a three-stage process we call ‘the creative process’. This is taught as follows:
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1. Exploring and Developing
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In this stage, children are given opportunities to explore and discuss the work of other artists and find out more about them or the artistic period. Children collect ideas/research the topic and showcase this in either individual or whole class theme board/collage. Children then explore initial ideas through drawing and sketching. This should take place even if the children are working in 2D or 3D for their final piece.
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2. Investigating and Making
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During this stage, children are given the opportunity to develop their ideas further and plan what they want to create. Children are encouraged to try out different techniques and to apply them to materials and processes. They then create their final piece of work – either individually or collaboratively – evaluating and adapting/changing as they go.
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3. Evaluating and Developing Work
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Children are given time to review what they have achieved, and the work of others, and comment on it saying what they think or feel about it. Children are given opportunities to identify what they might change about their final piece or the process they have been through and what they could do to improve and develop future work.
The skills taught within our Art and Design Curriculum are introduced in Early Years and Key Stage 1 and are then revisited at a higher degree of sophistication in Key Stage 2; this allows children to deepen their understanding and improve their skills throughout their time here at Our Lady’s.
In Key Stage 1, children are taught to use a wide variety of materials to help them creatively design products. Whilst doing this, the children will begin to develop their use of artistic technique such as: colour, texture, shape and space. The children will then be expected to begin using this vocabulary to compare the works of different artists, craft makers and designers.
In both Key Stages, the children have the opportunity to keep a sketch book in which they can keep plans, sketches and examples of the skills they will be using that year. The sketch books will also be used cross-curricular as a planning and observation tool. Throughout Key Stage 2, the children will continue to master the skills previously covered whilst using a wider variety of materials including pencil, charcoal, paint and clay.
Throughout their time at Our Lady’s, children are able to work with different artists within school. Across school, children are given the chance to visit galleries and museums. We visit Kirkby Gallery termly to view the exhibitions, and participate in bespoke activities inspired by the items on display, with creative writing, art and analytical challenges linking to the curriculum . This helps to support the children in learning about different artists and mediums, while also providing them with opportunities to experience different forms of culture.