Intent
At Westwood Academy, 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, thought and ideas. Art, craft and design embodies some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality Art and Design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils. This will equip them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. Our curriculum will encourage imagination and creativity; involving children in a range of visual, tactile and sensory experiences, which will enable them to communicate what they see, think and feel through the use of the elements of colour, texture, form and pattern.
The aims of teaching Art and Design at Westwood are:
- To 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.
- To produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.
- To become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
- To evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design.
- To know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.
Implementation
- A cycle of lessons for each unit, which carefully plan for progression and depth
- Challenge questions for pupils to apply their learning in a philosophical/open manner
- Trips and visiting experts who will enhance the learning experience
- Children will sketch and explore medias and their uses in a sketchbook which will progress through their school years, allowing children to see their own progression and reflect on their prior work and learning.
- Opportunities to display and celebrate the pupils’ artwork
- Educational visits provide an ideal opportunity for the teachers to plan for additional Art and Design learning outside the classroom. Our children may also explore museums or art galleries and study the history of local buildings and structures in our area
Impact
Our Art and Design curriculum focuses on progression of knowledge and skills, with discreet vocabulary progression also forming part of the units of work. Children will be become creative learners, who have a knowledge about the great artists and architects of the world. Creativity and uniqueness will be celebrated and children will become astute at editing and improving the pieces they have created. When teaching, there will be an emphasis placed on individuality and children will be given the freedom to explore art using their imaginations. Children will have embedded the key Art and Design skills needed to allow them to produce inventive pieces of art and design. Their interest in the art, architecture and design will have been stimulated and developed over time.