At Toft Hill Primary School, we want to inspire pupils to develop their confidence when experimenting and inventing their own works of art. Our curriculum is designed to give pupils every opportunity to develop their ability, nurture their talent and interests, express their ideas and thoughts about the world, as well as learning about art and artists across cultures and through history. We have also ensured the inclusion of some local artists and an art gallery visit to further cultivate a sense of their own cultural identity.
We have used Kapow Primary’s Art and design scheme of work, which supports pupils in meeting the National Curriculum end of key stage attainment targets (2014) as well as achieving full coverage the National Society for Education in Art and Design’s progression competencies.
Our curriculum uses the Kapow Primary scheme approach that consists of five strands that run throughout each unit of work. These are:
Units of lessons are sequential, allowing children to build their skills and knowledge, applying them to a range of outcomes. The formal elements, a key part of the National Curriculum, are also woven throughout units. Key skills are revisited again and again with increasing complexity in a spiral curriculum model. This allows pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Units in each year group are organised into four core areas:
Our units cover the formal elements of art (line, shape, space, form, tone, texture, pattern, colour and composition) as well as supporting students in learning how to make their own creative choices and decisions, so that their art outcomes, whilst still being knowledge-rich, are unique to themselves.
Lessons are always practical in nature and encourage experimental and exploratory learning with pupils using sketchbooks to document their ideas. Lessons are also designed in such a way that children are involved in the evaluation, dialogue and decision making about the quality of their outcomes and the improvements they need to make. By taking part in regular discussions and decision-making processes, children will not only know facts and key information about art, but they will be able to talk confidently about their own learning journey, have higher metacognitive skills and have a growing understanding of how to improve.
The anticipated impact of our curriculum is that children will leave our school well prepared for the next stage of their learning because they will;
- Produce creative work, exploring and recording their ideas and experiences.
- Be proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.
- Evaluate and analyse creative works using subject-specific language.
- Know about great artists and the historical and cultural development of their art.
- Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National Curriculum for Art and Design.