Tower Hill Primary School
Art Policy
Rationale:
At Tower Hill Primary School it is our firm belief that our curriculum should engage, inspire and challenge in order to enhance and enrich all children’s learning and improve outcomes for learners of all ages. Through the development of many different skills we attempt to acquire both knowledge of artists’ work and a desire to experiment, invent and create our own works of art, craft and design. This will be made possible by having a consistent and inspiring approach to a curriculum that provides a wide range of experiences.
Aims:
- To develop creativity and imagination through a range of first hand activities and experiences
- To know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
- To become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
- To provide children with visual, tactile and sensory experiences to develop and enhance their experiences of the world
- To develop children’s ability to value and appreciate the contribution made by other artists, craftspeople and designers and respond critically and imaginatively to ideas, images and objects from different times and cultures
- To enable children to record from first hand opportunities and from imagination
- To communicate their ideas and feelings through a range of materials, tools and techniques
- To develop increasing confidence to self-evaluate and analyse their work using the language of art and design in order to develop future work and outcomes
- To know about great artists, craft makers, architects and designers and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.
Teaching and Learning:
Children will be given the opportunity to develop key concepts, skills and attitudes in Art throughout the key stages by encouraging them to explore a variety of different media, develop their fine motor control, their observational skills and their appreciation of the use of colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, space and form. The work of artists, craft makers, architects and designers, from other cultures and times enables the children to look with interest and understanding at a variety of creative expressions in 2D and 3D form and develop a positive approach towards equal opportunities in race, gender and ability.
In each year group the children are encouraged to improve their mastery of art and design techniques including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials.
Careful planning is necessary with regards to differentiation of ability within the Key Stages. During dedicated art lessons, children will work in a range of groupings including whole class, small groups, pairs and individuals. These groups could also be organised by ability or mixed ability.
Curriculum Planning and Provision:
In order to achieve our aims Art is organised into a combination of topics across the key stages, linked where appropriate to other subjects to provide meaningful and purposeful opportunities to develop children’s skills through a cross-curricular approach.
Both Key Stages produce Curriculum Overviews and Medium Term Plans to ensure continuity and progression is achieved throughout the school. Children are taught through a combination of direct teaching, real experiences, use of teacher prepared materials, other artists, craft makers, architects and designers work, educational visits and media. Class teachers evaluate the planning and learning at the end of each teaching unit to inform future planning and assessments.
Assessment, Recording and Reporting:
The children’s work is assessed and feedback given whilst observing and working with them during lessons by class teachers, LSAs and peers. Progression and achievement is shown in the teacher’s Medium Term Plans. At each assessment milestone, the class teacher completes class assessments which show who is working below expectations, meeting expectations and exceeding expectations and this is reviewed by the Art Leader on a termly basis. At the end of the year the class teacher will make a final assessment judgement based on the assessments completed throughout the academic year. This information is used by the teacher to form part of the child’s annual report to parents.
Each half term, all children will participate in dedicated ‘Butterfly Effect’ art lessons. These lessons will be used to teach children to assess their own and others art work in order to make improvements and develop their understanding of and the language of critique.
The Art Leader keeps evidence of the children’s work often as a photographic record which demonstrates the expected levels of below expectations, meeting expectations and exceeding expectations in Art in each year of the school. This portfolio shows progression within a year group as well as across the whole school.
Sketchbooks:
Each child keeps a sketch book, which moves up with them through the school, to record their observations, develop their technical drawing, explore new tools and techniques and review and revisit ideas. All children and class teachers will follow the ‘Sketchbook Guidelines’ to ensure that all children are learning how to use a sketchbook to appropriately develop their artistic skills.
Monitoring and Review:
The Art Leader will oversee the continuity and progression across the school within the Key Stage Curriculum Overviews and Medium Term Plans. They will monitor and gather evidence to show the quality of teaching and the expected standards of children’s work.
The Art Leader will support colleagues and share expertise, arrange opportunities for outside agencies to visit the school and enhance learning, advise teachers on the objectives and teaching methods for the next year and encourage staff and pupils creativity.
SEND and Able Children:
We recognise the fact we have children of differing ability in all our classes, so we provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child. We achieve this through a range of strategies:
- setting common tasks that are open-ended and can have a variety of responses
- setting tasks of increasing difficulty where not all children complete all tasks
- grouping children by ability and setting different tasks for each group
- providing a range of challenges with different resources
- using additional adults to support the work of individual children or small groups
- identifying children who display a talent in Art on the Arts Attaining Highly Register
Resources:
We have a wide range of resources which are used to aid the teaching of Art. Class teachers are responsible for ensuring they have the materials they require to support the objectives and activities they have planned. The Art Leader is responsible for coordinating the purchasing and maintenance of equipment and materials and asks the class teachers to complete a resource and supplies order form every term. Advice and support is given by the Art Leader to the class teachers if required.
Health and Safety:
Health and Safety issues in art include the storage and use of materials, and the use of tools and techniques in accordance with the Health and Safety requirements.
Children are instructed in the correct and appropriate use of all resources and are supervised during all activities. They are made aware of specific dangers and are shown the appropriate and safe way to use the equipment and materials.
Equal Opportunities:
All children within the school regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or ability should have equal access and entitlement to a wide range of artistic skills, techniques and experiences, taking into account the individual needs of all children. This is in accordance with the school’s Equal Opportunity and Inclusion Policies. Regular assessment of pupil needs and understanding plays a vital role here as does the provision of appropriate resources.
Cross Curricular Links:
We believe that Art is a subject which supports and enhances learning in other areas and therefore, cross-curricular links are exploited where appropriate. Art is also taught as a subject in its own right when appropriate. A variety of art packages are used to provide and support opportunities in ICT. We provide after school activities to give the children additional opportunities to experiment with a variety of tools and techniques.
Subject Leaders Role:
The Art Leader will:
- Seek to enthuse pupils and staff about art and promote high achievement
- Advise and support staff in the planning, delivery and assessment of art
- Monitor the progress of pupils identified on the Attaining Highly Art Register
- Manage and develop all resources for art
- Monitor and evaluate art throughout the school
- Keep up to date with current developments through attending courses and feedback
this information to staff through inset and staff training - Assist in the delivery of the Art Curriculum
To be read in conjunction with our: Curriculum Policy; Teaching for Learning Policy
