Art and Design

Intent

At North Bradley, our Art curriculum embodies the values of SHINE: Strive, Hope, Inclusion, Nurture, and Equality. Through artistic expression, we empower pupils to love themselves, fostering self-esteem and creativity. Our vibrant displays throughout the school celebrate each student’s unique talents, nurturing a sense of inclusion and community.

To instil a genuine love for art, our comprehensive scheme of study engages pupils with the works of diverse artists, inspiring them to strive for excellence. By exploring various cultures and historical contexts, we cultivate hope for a broader appreciation of creativity. Each lesson focuses on specific techniques and processes, allowing students to reflect on their learning and embrace equality, ensuring every voice is valued.

Pupils document their artistic journeys in sketchbooks, serving as tools for reflection on their progress. This aligns with our nurturing value, enabling them to revisit their developments. Each child’s artwork draws inspiration from a wide range of artists, with our curriculum designed to maximise cultural capital, allowing all students to shine in their artistic endeavors.

Implementation

In the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, our art education aims to inspire creativity and innovation. Children explore various materials to design and create products, gaining skills in drawing, painting, and sculpture.

We introduce pupils to notable artists including Wassily Kandinsky, known for his abstract works, and Piet Mondrian, recognised for his geometric style. We also examine Alma Thomas's expressionist painting and collage, along with William Morris's intricate patterns from the Arts and Crafts movement. Additionally, we explore the enchanting fairy tale illustrations of Walter Crane, which link to literacy.

Pupils learn about Giuseppe Arcimboldo's imaginative portraits and the contemporary environmental art of Andy Goldsworthy, discussing connections to science, plants, and materials. Finally, we incorporate Chie Hitotsuyama's distinctive paper and clay techniques, linking to our science curriculum on animals, allowing children to apply their artistic skills in various contexts.

In Key Stage 2, we enhance our art curriculum by using sketchbooks to document knowledge and skill development. These sketchbooks allow students to record ideas and observations, fostering ownership and facilitating reflection on their artistic journeys.

As students progress, they explore drawing, painting, sculpture, and various printing techniques like lino printing. The curriculum includes studies of influential artists, such as Pablo Picasso’s Cubism, Georges Seurat’s Pointillism, and Claude Monet’s Impressionism, helping students understand technique, colour, and form.

Andy Warhol's Pop Art encourages lively projects that reflect contemporary culture, while Yayoi Kusama's work promotes inclusion and equality through her distinctive patterns and immersive installations. David Hockney’s work informs set design, linking visual art with performance, and students explore architecture through figures like Antoni Gaudí, Christopher Wren, and Zaha Hadid, enriching their understanding of space and design.

Teachers integrate art into our creative, topic-based curriculum, making learning experiences engaging and memorable. Classroom displays are vibrant and artistic, celebrating student work and elevating the profile of art across the school. Visualisers are utilised in all classes for effective demonstration of techniques, ensuring Quality First Teaching for all students. This holistic approach nurtures artistic abilities and fosters a lifelong appreciation for art and design.

Impact

The impact of the art curriculum and are approach to implementation is that every pupil enjoys art and is enthusiastic about this subject. Pupils will leave North Bradley CE Primary school with knowledge of a range of great artists from different disciplines and they will be able to use this knowledge and techniques learned to express themselves through painting, sculpture, drawing and printing. Pupils will also know of the links between art and other subjects, such as history, D.T. and R.E. Pupils will be artists with the courage to create when they progress to KS3.