Art and Design curriculum statement

Intent

At Badsworth C of E Junior and Infant School, we value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s wider education. Art and Design provides the children with the opportunities to apply, develop and extend skills and knowledge learned in wider curriculum areas as well as providing an opportunity to express their individual interests, thoughts, ideas and creativity.

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 on their learning journey, they will be taught to think critically and develop a deep understanding of art and design through hands on experiences, exposure to a wide range of arts, artists and designers. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to our cultural diversity, creativity and wealth.

Implementation

The teaching and implementation of the Art and Design Curriculum at Badsworth C of E Junior and Infant School is broad, ambitious and progressive.

The national curriculum is met through pupil engagement in 6 areas, one for each half term:

• Drawing
• Pattern
• painting
• Printing
• Collage and Weaving
• Form 

Both Renowned and lesser known local, national and international artists and designers are celebrated and explored to enhance the children's learning and inspire starting points for each area. 

The children's learning is further enhanced with a whole school arts week in the summer term where the children have the opportunity for collaborative working and exploration into the different styles, mediums and techniques of a range of artists.

Impact

Children and staff alike talk positively about the teaching and learning in art sessions and understand why it is an important part of our curriculum. From the teaching and learning experiences, children are eager to engage in creative activities and express themselves in different ways across the curriculum using different mediums. Children are able to demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of art, artists and designers using subject specific vocabulary. Pupils are able to share their thoughts and opinions on various art-related topics and ideas including artists studied; styles of art; periods of time; and the various cultural influences – especially those we can see for ourselves within our locality and surrounding areas. 

Due to the progressive nature of our curriculum, children are frequently revisiting, recalling and transferring skills which build on their prior learning experiences. Every child has the opportunity to apply their learning by creating pieces of art as well as contributing to pieces of artwork that they can be proud of.