Art

Intent

Art plays a vital role at Brunel Field Primary. We believe it is a useful and engaging tool to enable children to explore the world around them, make sense of new concepts, develop emotional literacy and improve vocabulary. We aim to instill a lifelong appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts, providing cultural references and reminding us that art connects us all to cultures and societies around the world. We whole heartedly believe that Art & Design stimulates imagination and creativity and that it is an enriching part of our personal development. Creative exploration in art offers us all a safe place in which to learn about ourselves.

Implementation

At Brunel Field Primary Art and Design is a fully integrated subject across the curriculum, with particular links made with our enquiry-based subjects and in English as a method for exploring and generating ideas for writing. We have developed a ‘Start with Art’ approach to teaching writing which offers inclusive opportunities for children to develop their ideas and understanding through the Arts before applying these to written contexts. As part of our broad curriculum, we ensure a progressive development of knowledge and skills from Reception to Year 6.

We do this by:

• enabling children to observe and record from first-hand experience, authentic sources and from imagination,

• developing the children’s competence in controlling materials and tools, providing opportunities for the children to become proficient in various art and design techniques and processes,

• growing an awareness of the visual and tactile elements that include colour, pattern and texture, line and tone, shape, form and space.

Our Art & Design curriculum also encourages children to explore ideas and meanings through studying the work of artists and designers from a broad range of cultures and backgrounds and aims to provide the children with an inclusive and diverse representation of the world through which all children can identify themselves. In conjunction with learning in History particularly, children can explore the impact Art & Design has had on contemporary life and on different periods and cultures. The Art & Design curriculum at Brunel Field works beautifully in tandem with our whole school Core Learning Skills approach which places great emphasis on the learning skills required to be resilient, improve on previous learning and think creatively. As the children progress through the school, they are given opportunities to explore and develop their skills, ideas and vocabulary and discuss and critique their own and others’ work. They will work on small and large scale pieces, both indoors and outdoors and we also value the opportunity for children to share their work with a wider audience.