Intent – What do we want to achieve?
The primary aim of our whole school curriculum is to provide ‘Excellence for All.’ To achieve this we want to develop children as curious, independent and resilient learners who have a secure understanding of themselves, their community and the wider world in which they live. We want them to have high aspirations and make positive contributions to their community and society. It is of the utmost importance to us that we provide pupils with indelible experiences from which they can learn and develop a range of transferable, lifelong skills.
Art is a vital part of the human experience. It develops self-expression through a range of different contexts, mediums, and processes. Art education should inspire children to reflect both creatively and critically about the world around them. At Easingwold Primary, we believe this is achieved through a broad and balanced curriculum, where children are encouraged to reflect on their own context at the community level but also through a range of multicultural and historical contexts. The Art curriculum enables children to develop a range of technical skills but also self-reflective and evaluative skills through the exploration of Artists and Architects. Our intent when teaching Art is to instil a sense of wonder about the world. At Easingwold Primary we aspire for all our pupils to become competent, highly skilled artists. In order to achieve this, we aim to develop the children’s capacity to create and shape their ideas alongside advancing their technical proficiency in drawing, painting, sculpture and mixed media.
Implementation - How will we achieve this?
Art at Easingwold Primary is taught in blocks throughout the year, so that children can achieve depth in their learning. Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each unit and these are mapped across the school, ensuring that knowledge builds progressively and that children develop skills systematically, with the opportunity to practise skills and develop throughout. Existing knowledge is checked at the beginning of each topic and retrieval opportunities are built into the start of each lesson to support the children in remembering more of what they have learnt. This ensures that teaching is informed by the children's starting points. Lessons are designed to provide appropriate support and challenge to all learners, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion. At the end of each topic, key knowledge is reviewed by the children and rigorously checked by the teacher and consolidated as necessary.
School trips and visitors is an area we are developing, to maximise the children’s first-hand experiences and to give a meaningful context to their learning.
Impact – How do we know we have been successful?
The impact of our Art curriculum is that our learners are equipped with the skills and knowledge to help them express themselves effectively and think creatively and critically about the world around them. Their skills and knowledge develop progressively as they move through the school to enable them to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and enable them to be fully equipped for the next stage of their learning journey. The children are able to discuss their learning and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding through practical application and in discussion. The children’s learning is assessed against the age-related expectations from the 2014 National Curriculum and the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.