Intent
At Heathcote we believe that there is an artist in everyone! We aim to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum by providing a broad and balanced curriculum, ensuring the progressive development of knowledge and skills across all year groups.
The Art Curriculum at Heathcote aligns with the National Curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
- Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and 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 the historical and cultural development of their art forms
Our high-quality Art & Design provision is based on the Maestro Cornerstones Scheme of work. We strive to engage, inspire and challenge pupils to experiment, invent and create their own pieces. As well as individual creative growth, we teach our pupils to appreciate and evaluate the work of other artists: well- known, lesser known and even their peers’ work. As pupils progress, we equip them with the language needed to analyse works of art from different time periods and different cultures from all around the world. Our young artists and designers at Heathcote work towards gaining a good understanding of how Art & Design reflect and shape history and contribute to the culture, creativity and diversity of a community and a nation.
Implementation
At Heathcote, we will implement our Art & Design aims by:
- Teaching art regularly. The children will cover Art topics as part of the Cornerstones curriculum and will also have additional opportunities to engage with Art & Design activities throughout the school year.
- Using sketch books for Art from Year 3 to Year 6. Children take these through school with them as a record of progression.
- Teaching a predominantly skills-based curriculum, which covers drawing, painting, sculpture, textiles and printing. Full details of our art curriculum can be found in our long-term and medium-term plans.
- Re-teaching skills throughout the children’s time in school to build on previous learning.
- Ensuring that each child develops their skills and techniques in a way appropriate to them, through clear differentiation and support, active and purposeful experiences, and using a variety of art materials and teaching strategies.
- Fostering an enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts and a knowledge of artists, craftspeople and designers.
Impact
We monitor the impact of our Art provision through planning checks, lesson observations, book looks and pupil and teacher voice. The creativity of all our pupils is celebrated in topic books, sketch books and communal displays and published on our website and Tapestry journals.
Ongoing, formative assessment takes place throughout the year. Teachers use this information to inform future lessons, ensuring children are supported and challenged appropriately. Areas of curriculum strengths and weaknesses are analysed by the Art & Design lead and actions planned, with the agreement of the SLT, to address areas for improvement.
Enrichment
One aspect of school life we are particularly proud of at Heathcote is our rich and inspiring art enrichment. Every year, we enjoy Art Week, a fun and inspiring week that encourages children to explore their creative side. Our most recent Art Week was centred on the National Gallery’s Take One Picture project, focusing on Henri Rousseau’s Surprised. Every year group created work inspired by this painting. Examples include: paper mâché tiger heads and camouflage masks made using natural resources gathered during Forest School sessions. This week was introduced in direct response to pupil voice expressing a desire to “make more” in art and to deepen their understanding of artists they study.
Beyond Art Week, pupils benefit from a wide range of additional artistic opportunities. We have a close relationship with local artist Lynne Gougeon, who works annually with Year 6 on a legacy project, creating a permanent piece of artwork for the school. She has also led a winter project with our disadvantaged pupils and has even collaborated with Severn Trent Water and a group of Heathcote pupils to design and create a community mural at a local community centre.
We are also fortunate to have close links with partner schools within our academy trust. Recently, a group of pupils visited a partner school to collaborate on a textile project. This communal weave is now travelling around the academy schools—and we are eagerly awaiting its return so it can be proudly displayed at Heathcote!
Curriculum
We have worked hard to review and adapt our art curriculum so that it truly meets the needs of our pupils. Each year group now studies one art unit per term, carefully selected by Mrs Brill in response to staff and pupil voice, book looks and thoughtful evaluation of each unit.
Our art curriculum offers a balanced mix of key artistic skills: drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, printing and textiles. We have also ensured a wide range of artists are studied, helping children to broaden their experiences, develop their understanding of different artistic styles and cultures, and build their cultural capital.
