Art | Westwood Primary School

Curriculum Intent

At Westwood and Grove Primary schools we value Art and Design and the opportunities that it provides for our children to be creative and to express themselves. This is a key part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. We have carefully designed and structured our art curriculum to ensure children develop the knowledge and skills needed to be successful artists.

Children will be given a range of experiences including; drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, textiles and 3D. The art curriculum has been structured to support children to be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. As children progress through the school, the art curriculum allows them to build upon prior knowledge and skills, giving them opportunities to apply them to a new context. In order to prepare them for their future art teaching will also support the children to develop key learning behaviours: resilience, risk taking, resourcefulness, relationships and reflection.

Through hands on experiences we aim to create a love of art in which children as artists are inspired by famous artists, have opportunities to develop techniques using a range of mediums and can talk about their work. At Westwood and Grove Primary schools we aim for children to leave Year 6 with the knowledge, skills and a love of art which will enable them to creative individuals as they grow.

At Westwood we are guided by the National Curriculum for Art (2014).

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 form

Curriculum Implementation

At Westwood and Grove, Art and Design is a fundamental part of teaching and learning and is taught from EYFS to Year 6.

Children in the Early Years are encouraged to explore and use a range of media and materials whilst also developing their creativity, imagination and critical thinking. This the foundation on which learning is developed throughout the school.

We use an Art scheme of work to support our planning and teaching of Art in years 1-6. The Suffolk Art Scheme alongside the National Curriculum ensures a well-structured progression of arts knowledge and skills throughout the school.

Art is taught on a half termly basis which alternates with DT. In addition to art lessons, children are also given the opportunity to develop and apply their art knowledge and skills during Woodland sessions.

Curriculum Impact

Our vision is to foster in children a love of Art and develop creativity. Pupil voice is an important part of our assessment allowing us to continually reflect upon our Arts curriculum and our offer of extra-curricular activities.

Formative assessment is used to move children’s learning forward in Art and to inform next steps. Summative assessments take place on a termly basis and attainment is tracked against National Curriculum expectations. This allows us to inform and address any trends or gaps in attainment.

Children in the Early Years are assessed using EExAT monthly milestones for Expressive Art and Design.