Art
Art has the role in education of helping children become like themselves instead of more like everyone else.
- Sydney Gurewitz Clemens
Art Leader: Mrs S Tolson
The art curriculum at St. Joseph's is designed to inspire our pupils with the work of exceptional artists both contemporary and classic. Through learning about the work of other artists, while developing a range of skills and techniques, pupils will discover their own ways of expressing their ideas. Great pieces of artwork provide models to spark children's curiosity and creativity. The curriculum aims to develop their technical skills while encouraging pupils to explore ways in which to experiment with colour and texture. As pupils may not have access to drawing and craft materials at home, it is important that a full range of opportunities are presented to all children. Access to high quality materials is essential.
Tony Bullock ( our visiting artist) works with all classes to enrich our curriculum through art days and learning about themes in modern and classical art.
Implementation
Art is taught in blocks using the schemes of work from Access Art but adapted so that children can make connections to other parts of the curriculum. It is taught in 4 week blocks of learning and is recorded in sketchbooks. Pupils are encouraged to record all their ideas in their sketchbooks so that they can develop their own ideas, try out processes and express points of view about their experiments and choices. Tony Bullock (our visiting artist) provides art experiences which link to the wider curriculum and give the children the chance to explore themes in classical and contemporary art through art hunts and the opportunity to copy the work of great artists.
Art is taught across 5 strands: Drawing and Sketchbooks, Print, Colour and Collage, Working in three dimensions, Paint and a collaboration and Community strand which allows children to work together to create BIG art pieces.
In all Art lessons, children are asked to review their ideas, to choose which parts of their work and the work of others they think are most successful and to experiment with ways of improving their work. Each child's sketchbook records their thought process and the refining of their ideas and planning to create and modify pieces of art over time.
The Art curriculum is designed to be accessible to all learners; SEND and New to English learners are particularly likely to achieve well in this subject because it relies on visual modelling and self- expression.
Additional Art enrichment takes place through a weekly Art Club in which children explore a theme over a six week session.