Art at Our School

Our intent for Art is to develop children’s artistic skills alongside an appreciation of the work of famous artists. Children are given regular opportunities to be creative through a carefully planned sequence of lessons that ensure clear progression across the three strands of the National Curriculum: drawing, painting and sculpture. 

Learning begins with opportunities to experiment with a range of materials and tools, supporting the development of fine motor skills, confidence and creativity. This is followed by the explicit teaching of key artistic skills. Children are then introduced to an artist and apply these skills when studying their work, before using this inspiration to create an individual final piece of artwork. 

In Drawing, children learn techniques such as hatching, scribbling, stippling and blending to create tone, texture and contrast. These skills progress to developing perspective and dimension, leading to sustained pieces of work produced over a series of lessons. In Painting, children begin by learning how to mix primary colours to create secondary colours, tones and shades. They then develop control over a range of marks and tools to produce increasingly detailed and expressive paintings. 

In Sculpture, children start with simple techniques such as rolling, pinching and kneading, before progressing to more advanced methods including shaping and carving. As skills develop, children explore a range of finishing techniques such as glazing, painting and polishing.

Sketchbooks play a vital role in the Art curriculum, providing a space for experimentation, skill development and reflection. Each child is given a sketchbook in Year 1 which travels with them through the school, clearly demonstrating progression and supporting the creation of more complex and sustained artwork by the end of Key Stage 2.

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