Why we Study Art and Design
At Enfield Academy, we develop children’s artistic skills, knowledge and creativity by providing them with engaging, inspiring and challenging opportunities using art and design. We expect children to reflect critically about art and design and understand how to develop and refine their skills. We expect children to leave school with a rich knowledge of how art and design contribute to history, culture and wealth of the World.
Each year group plans art lessons which aims to ensure that children are able to develop key skills using a range of medium. Children are given knowledge about key artists and artistic styles. Our aim is to ensure that children are confident when approaching artwork, feel a strong sense of achievement, value the impact of art within our own lives and are able to reach their full potential. Children should develop key artistic skills over their school career and be confident in producing improved versions of the same product.
Aims
The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:
- produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
- become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
- evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
- know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms
At Enfield, we value art and design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. Art and design provides the children with the opportunities to develop and extend skills and an opportunity to express their individual interests, thoughts and ideas.
Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
How We Teach Art and Design
The teaching and implementation of the Art and Design Curriculum at Enfield is based on the National Curriculum, in order to ensure a well-structured approach to this creative subject.
The children are taught art in isolation in order to develop key skills and build on general knowledge regarding key artists and artistic styles. A long-term plan has been developed so that a key artist and artistic style is taught in each year group. The children will study a famous artist in detail and learn about their life and history. They will also study the artist’s style and how this fitted into the era in which the artist lived. The children will then use their knowledge and skills to practice reproducing artwork in the style of the chosen artist. They will finish the study by creating a final high-quality piece of artwork in the style of their artist.
Art will also be taught as part of termly topic in KS1 and KS2. Art may also be used elsewhere in the curriculum where appropriate.
Early Years Foundation Stage
Pupils explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities. Children have daily access to art and craft materials and practice using a variety of cutting and joining techniques and tools. Children also have the opportunity to regularly explore paint, printing, pastels and a whole-range of medium in order to develop and hone their artistic and design skills. Children are encouraged to select tools and materials appropriately, safely and to be curious, ambitious and unique in their designs.
Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2
Pupils are taught art explicitly on a termly basis. Children will learn to develop their drawing, painting and sculpting skills throughout the year. They will also explore a variety of different medium throughout their school career.
The range of skills and medium may include:
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Painting Explore finger painting Different sizes of brush Twigs/sponge/scrunched paper Combs Powder paint Ready mix Colour mixing Oil/acrylic and palette knives
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Drawing Mark making with a variety of implements Exploring line with brush, pencils, crayons etc. Wax crayons Oil pastels Pencils Felt tips Observational and imaginary drawings Indian ink |
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Printmaking Hand/finger prints Potato/vegetable/fruit prints Found object prints/recycled materials Rubbings Rollers Mono-prints Stencil prints Relief blocks (string blocks) Clay blocks Overlay printing Press print |
Textiles / Collage Collage with paper Collage with materials Texture rubbings Weaving Stitching Knotting Tie and dye/ dip dye Wood wrapping and frames |
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3D Junk construction (boxes, containers etc) Environmental sculpture (found objects and natural objects) Pottery/vessels Clay dishes (thumb pots, coil pots) Balloons and sticky tape (heads) Twig sculpture Clay tiles/sculpture/slabs (textured and drawn) Pebbles Modelling powder |
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Using apps and computing programmes as a tool for art and design Digital photography Videos Digital drawings, paintings, design Combining text, sound and images to express |
Teachers will assess pupils and record their progress using the Skills and Knowledge Tracker. Teachers use this information to inform future lessons; ensuring children are supported and challenged appropriately and that children are taught a developing range of skills and techniques across their school career.
Final end of year assessments are made using assessment criteria that has been developed in line with the national curriculum.
What Is Special About Art at Enfield Academy
Children will leave Enfield Academy having had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of materials and medium and understand how to use these to the fullest of their potential. They will have honed their basic artistic skills and understand how to develop and refine them to create a sophisticated and high-quality piece of art.
Pupils will leave Enfield Academy with a rounded and in-depth knowledge of key artists, designers and craft-makers and be able to recognise and interpret famous works of art. Children will understand how art and design impacts the history, culture and wealth of the world today.