Art - Statement of Intent 

At Elmtree Infant and Nursery school, we value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. We plan using a skills-based programme and the KS1 National curriculum and/or EYFS curriculum. Each area of art is broken down and specific skills taught in order to develop knowledge and understanding of different media, tools and techniques.  

We pride ourselves on developing the whole child, not just valuing certain subjects or strengths but giving children the skills to develop in all areas. At Elmtree School, every teacher is a teacher of SEND. As such, inclusion is a thread that runs through every area of the school. Our school builds on children’s self esteem and confidence and celebrates all successes. We value creativity in school and this is central to our ethos and values. The importance of Art is evident across our school through displays and across our timetable. Our aim is to ensure that children are confident approaching art work, feel a strong sense of achievement, value the impact of art within their own lives and are able to reach their full potential. 

Through our Art and Design curriculum we aim to: 

• To make art and design and enjoyable experience. 

• To be given opportunities to work individually, in groups and as a whole class. 

• To develop imagination and careful observation by looking closely at the world around us. 

• Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences. 

• Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art and craft 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 historical and cultural development of their art forms. 

• To develop children’s ability to articulate and communicate ideas, opinions and feelings about their own work and that of others. 

• To develop children’s ability to respond thoughtfully and critically to ideas, images and objects of many kinds and from many cultures. 

Implementation: 

We plan the topics in Art so that they build upon prior learning. We ensure that there are opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills and knowledge in each unit and we aim to build progression into the Art scheme of work, so that the children are increasingly challenged as they move through the school. The Art subject leader ensures adequate coverage of a range of different artists in each year group, both modern and traditional. 

Teachers plan and teach through a range of teaching and learning styles. Our principle aim is to ensure that we develop their knowledge, skill and understanding of various media and techniques through the children’s time within Elmtree. We ensure that we plan time to explore and develop the children and use sketchbooks in KS1 to reflect on and develop their ideas. Lessons may include a range of individual, group or whole class teaching. Children are encouraged to reflect upon their work and evaluate their ideas and the methods used. 

In Early years, developing creativity and individual exploration is a fundamental part of the provision provided. Children have access to a range of materials and media to develop their understanding and knowledge of art media. They learn by exploring media through their own play as they represent their own ideas and thoughts. Art skills are taught through focused activities: children are then able to develop these further through their own independent learning. 

Planning the Curriculum 

In the Early Years, we teach art through focused activities and continuous provision. We plan from the objectives within the EYFS framework working towards the Early Learning Goals at the end of Foundation stage. 

Key Stage 1 

Pupils should be taught: 

• To use a range of materials creatively to design and make products. 

• To use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas experiences and imagination. 

• To develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern texture, line, shape, form and space. 

• About the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, whenever possible, describing their differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines and making links to their own work. 

At Elmtree we aim to instil a life-long love of the arts. We know how important a creative approach to learning is and try to make links with all areas of the curriculum. Our Long-term overview identifies the key skills and areas taught in each year group and identify key artist and themes, which are covered. Teachers then plan through their medium term and weekly planning. Teachers ensure that skills taught are specific to that year group and provide development on previous experiences to ensure children are challenged, inspired and engaged within their art curriculum. 

Additional Opportunities: 

• We work with our PTA every summer to take part in the “Chesham Carnival” that   culminates in a celebration that the whole community enjoys. 

• Children are encouraged to participate in Art competitions both locally and nationally. 

• Children create a Christmas card that parents can order to have printed. 

• Children have the opportunity to attend lunchtime Art clubs. 

Impact: 

• Children are able to use are able to use drawing, painting and sculpture to share their ideas, experiences and imagination. 

• Children in KS1 create sketchbooks to record observations and use them to review and revisit ideas, and collect visual material to help them develop their ideas. 

• Children develop techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and printing to large scale and 3D. 

• Children improve their mastery of techniques, such as drawing, painting and sculpture with materials (e.g. pencil, charcoal, paint, clay) 

• Children have an awareness of the work of a range of artists, craftsmen and designers in history, and are able to describe the differences and similarities between different art forms, making links to their own work. 

Teaching and learning for Art is monitored by the Art subject leader through: 

• Monitoring of planning. 

• Learning walks. 

• Observations. 

• Scrutiny of work. 

• Discussions with children. 

• Staff meetings. 

Assessment is an integral part of the planning, teaching and learning cycle. Much of it is informal, based on observation and discussion with the children as well as on their work. 

KS1 teachers keep the work across the year in a portfolio by student.  

The Art subject leader takes photographs of a range and variety of work experienced throughout the school. These help demonstrate what the expected level of achievement is in Art for each age group in the school. 

Every child in KS1 is provided with a sketchbook and whole school moderation of sketchbooks is completed annually in order to monitor the standards. 

Adults in school mount and display artwork and they should be encourage constructive discussion adding their own comments to the critique which should be developmental E.g. “next time you could try…” while displaying the work. Every child should receive feedback on their work and children’s comments recorded on the reverse of the artwork or in their sketchbook. 

The Art subject leader is responsible for monitoring the standard of the children’s work through the collection of work for children’s individual portfolio’s and school displays, sketchbook moderation, the reading of medium term plans, discussions with class teachers and visits to classes. 

The effectiveness of the teaching of Art within the school will be evaluated in the light of the aims and objectives outlined at the beginning of this document. The children’s attitudes to their work will be taken into account as well as their progress in knowledge, skills and understanding.