Our Art Coordinator is Mrs H Kimbley.
Art at Towngate Primary Academy is planned as a discrete subject throughout school. Within the Early Years, art is taught through planned focused activities and continuous provision. Within Key Stage 1 and 2, art is planned following the National Curriculum and against the outlined learning objectives. Teachers have a yearly view of the subject, ensuring all skills and knowledge are covered. Through the progression grids, teachers develop long term and medium term plans to ensure pupils are provided with opportunities to build on skills previously taught and ensure that skills, knowledge and vocabulary are embedded and extended.
Through a consistent approach to teaching, staff ensure the children are able to retain information and use skills confidently within their work. Cross-curricular links are made where they are purposeful and enhance the children’s understanding of other curricular areas. Art has strong links and supports the children’s understanding of British Values, our Values based curriculum and SMSC.
Knowledge, skills and vocabulary are planned weekly to ensure that lessons are taught sequentially and therefore embed the children’s knowledge, skills and recall of key vocabulary. Lessons review previously taught skills and provide the children with the opportunities to explore and develop their own use of the media and techniques introduced, through sketchbook work. As skills and knowledge are embedded the children work towards using these within a main piece at the end of a unit.
Within the year staff plan for an Art Week with a focus on one art media or skill. Staff plan together and ensure that skills, knowledge and vocabulary are at the heart of the week’s work. Children then work through individual or collaborative activities to produce a collective range of work.
Within the Early Years, opportunities for art to be explored through child-initiated activities are evident through the continuous provision provided. Key vocabulary and books are displayed to ensure children are able to review and embed these concepts. Enhancements are planned to identify key skills and to make cross-curricular links where appropriate. Staff ensure that their interactions and questions support the child’s individual development and progression through their creative activities.
Within Key Stage 1 and 2 vocabulary is reviewed within each lesson and related resources and books are shared to support the children understanding and curiosity in art. Throughout the year, children learn about different artists and their work before developing their own skills and creative responses.
Ongoing opportunities for children to explore and revisit their learning is at the centre of the Early Years practice and ensures that art is seen as a creative way of expressing their ideas, thoughts and understanding of other curricular subjects.
Children also have the opportunity to attend extra-curricular clubs, which develop the children’s art skills, including art club and sewing club.
Children develop a range of art skills and are able to use a wide variety of art media with increasing confidence. They have a good understanding of the subject specific vocabulary used when reflecting and talking about their art. The children’s sketchbooks show development in their use and application of different media and their ability to reflect upon their own work. Children gain confidence responding to artwork and voicing their ideas. They see art as a process and are able to use skills and knowledge taught to inform their work. Pupil voice is gathered through subject monitoring and lessons are observed with a key focus identified. Subject leaders are able to support staff in their planning and feedback to staff to further develop areas of the curriculum.
Throughout our school, the artwork produced through our Art Week is proudly displayed reinforcing the value and importance of art within our school. Children’s work clearly highlights the understanding and skills gained through their focused work, showing a clear progression in skills throughout individual year groups.
