Intent

Here at Collis we aim to cultivate creative children who are inspired through our delivery of the creative arts.

• Art and Design stimulates creativity and imagination. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences – a unique way of understanding and responding to the world.

• Pupils use colour, form, texture, pattern and different materials and processes to communicate what they see, feel and think.

• Through art and design activities, they learn to make informed value judgements, aesthetic and practical decisions. They become actively involved in shaping environments.

• They explore ideas and meanings in the work of artists, craftspeople and designers.

• They learn about the diverse roles and functions of art, craft and design in contemporary life, and in different times and cultures. Understanding, appreciating and enjoying the visual arts has the power to enrich our personal and public lives, contributing to the culture, creativity and wealth of a nation.

• As a school we embrace these ideas by visiting museums, inviting artists and institutions. Some of these visits include cross-curricular activities with the wider curriculum. (e.g. Local artist Ed Tandy did a 3D landscape with a year 6 group for Art exhibition. Abi Wellspring did a 3D sculpture using groups of children from across the school.

        Author and illustrators Paul Geraghty, Jim Smith and Michelle Hird

visited the school and inspired art work.

Year 2 visit the Science Museum looking at space exploration in humanities,

but also generate space art from this visit.

Implementation

• When delivering the creative curriculum at Collis there is a real focus on teaching the children new skills and techniques, with a clear progression of skills.   
• To ensure art lessons provide the children with a real sense of purpose, sessions and activities can often relate directly to the class topic. These cross curricular links help immerse the children in their art sessions and ensure they are memorable and provide multi-cultural education and approach to art.
• Children always have the opportunity to express their creativity as an individual.

An example of studying and immersing children in multi-cultural art is Black History Week.

Another example of studying multi-cultural artists is Chris Ofili (Trinidad and Tobago) and aboriginal artists

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Throughout the school, our children cover a range of artists and throughout all Key Stages, have the opportunity to research an artist. We aim to keep a balance of not only British artists but also study a variety of artists from around the world.

We ensure the children experience a variety of different media to express their creative ideas.

Impact

The creative arts have a very high profile at our school. Our children love Art and Design. The last survey overwhelmingly expressed this. Our children are confident with using a range of resources to create artwork and display a sense of pride over their creations. This can be demonstrated through the fantastic and engaging classroom displays which showcase brilliant work. Also through our celebrated community art exhibitions.  Quotes from Art exhibition book:  

If you were to walk into an art and design lesson at Collis, you will see:

• Clear skills being taught as the learning objective that builds on previous learning
• Modelling of skills
• Children using high quality vocabulary linked to the skills and subject being taught
• Children using a variety of visual aids/artists work as inspiration
• A range of high quality materials and resources
• Children confidently express what has gone well in their designs and what can be improved
• Children reflecting on their own art work and editing where necessary
• Evaluating and forming opinions about art and the world around them

An example of skill progression within our Art and Design curriculum:

Drawing

Pupil Voice

What do you enjoy about Art and Design?

• “I get to be messy and wear an apron and use paints” (Reception child (2020))
• “It’s my favourite subject. I wish we could do art every day” (Year 2 student (2019))
• “I like trying new things like making sculptures and models” (Year 4 student (2019))
• “It’s a really special time in the week. Everyone asks when we are doing art next because you can’t do it wrong really” (Year 6 student (2019))

What helps you to improve in Art and Design?

• “When I have time to try out things like using pastels or watercolours in different ways”
• “If my teacher loves doing art then my drawings are always great because she says it’s her favourite lesson too.”
• “When we are learning about really exciting subjects like the Egyptian mummies then that inspires me and I want to make things.”
• “When my teacher shows us how to do it first.”
• “If I keep on trying. If I don’t like it I can start again and no one minds.”

Successes:

1. When asked, (in a verbal survey by the Art Co-ordinator Dec 2019) the majority of children at Collis say ‘Art is their favourite subject’.
2. The Art co-ordinator and staff have always given Art a high profile in the school (history of Art and Design Exhibitions).

Strengths:

• Displays around the school exemplify pupil’s retention of skills and evidence of good and outstanding teaching and learning.
• A broad range of topics and skills are taught across the school, exposing children to wide range of artists and mediums.
• Staff have a better understanding of key vocabulary and it is beginning to be embedded into planning and displays.
• Pupil voice suggests that art is an extremely popular subject across the year groups.

Priorities for 2022-2023

• To ensure tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary is explicitly taught and embedded into the unit of work and reflected within displays. Pupils should be confident in using the vocabulary as part of class discussions.
• To ensure there is evidence of the development of skills which build towards the end point of the topic.
• To plan a series of lessons focused around key artists.
• To ensure there is evidence of the development of skills which build towards the end point of the topic.