Art

Expressive Art and Design is one of the seven areas of the early years foundation stage and is used to develop a child’s imagination, creativity and their ability to use media and materials. Children do this in a range of ways including singing songs and making music, dancing, playing with colours, textures and design, block play, using malleable materials and using junk modelling.

We provide a rich environment in which we encourage and value creativity. Children are engaged in a wide range of activities on a daily basis, and their responses involve the various senses. We encourage children to use all of their senses to explore the world around them and to also use the natural environment for and in their art work. The activities that they take part in are imaginative and enjoyable and are based around the children’s likes and interests. It is the role of the adult to model an activity but not control the creative process. In the early years, emphasis is placed on the creative process, not the end product. Children are encouraged to be independent and to try activities out for themselves. These activities may include planned and group focuses and also child initiated activities. Tools and resources are differentiated to ensure art is accessible for all children.

Nursery and reception play a vital role in developing and extending the children’s creativity through providing opportunities that encourage and facilitate curiosity, imagination, investigation exploration and risk taking.

Children in Key Stage One continue to develop their skills and knowledge previously learned in Reception. Children are introduced to a range of artists, including sculptors, print-makers, fashion designers and develop their understanding of four areas of art: drawing, printing, sculpting and printing. Children are equipped with the knowledge to create pottery out of different malleable materials, explore carving as a form of 3D art, use different media such as oil paints and water colours, draw and paint portraits and landscapes.

At St Luke’s, we believe that communication and language is a key skill in life. We place a big emphasis on the children discussing their art work with their peers and teachers. Teachers encourage children to ask and answer questions about the starting points for their work. They have the opportunity to compare ideas, methods and approaches in their own work and that of other children and to say what they think and feel about them.

The children use a sketchbook to plan and develop simple ideas as they are given the knowledge to produce a piece of artwork in the style of a famous artist.

In Key Stage Two, pupils are taught to develop their techniques further. Children will continue to explore the work of a range of artists describing the differences and similarities and making links to their own work. We still place a big emphasis on creativity and encourage all children to have unique ideas and ways of thinking.

We also encourage children to think about how they will adapt their own work as and when problems arise. Overcoming challenges and making adaptations allows children to develop their resilience; an invaluable skill that the children will use throughout the whole of their lives.

Children in Key stage 2 learn about a variety of artists and the artist will underpin the style of art the children will study. After learning about a particular artist, children will invest time in developing their arts skills in that area, with a clear progression of skills seen in their sketchbooks. Children are given the opportunity to use the skills and knowledge that they have learned by using different media and materials. Within printing and sculpting, children will have opportunity to practise and develop their skills to plan and produce mono, callograph, lino and screen prints as well as creating their own sculptures inspired by famous artists.