Art and Design

art and design at a glance.pdf

Magical Mosaics!

As part of our ongoing Artsmark journey, back in October, the children had the wonderful opportunity to work with Angela and Lynda: the talented mosaic artists from Tomato Jack Arts. The aim of the project was to produce 2 pieces of collaborative art (one for each site entrance) which would welcome visitors to the school and unify the sites. The mosaics were designed to represent our logo, our houses and our location. Every child had a hand in the making of the pieces which are truly beautiful!

The mosaics will be going on display soon so please keep an eye out!

We would like to thank FORS, as their generous donation meant that we could really invest in artwork that will stand the test of time!

Intent

At The Rissington School, we value art and design as an important part each pupil’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. We are committed to ensure that art and design provide the pupils with opportunities to both practice, develop, extend and refine skills. Our pupils are encouraged to re-visit and apply previous knowledge and on the understanding that their Art and Design journeys are unique, we encourage them to express and reflect upon their own interests, experiences, feelings, thoughts and ideas. Ultimately, we want our pupils to be excited by Art and Design and the potential to discover, invent and create.

At the Rissington school we believe that art and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. Our high-quality art and design curriculum will engage, inspire and challenge pupils; equipping them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design individually and in collaboration with others.

As pupil's progress, our art and design curriculum will enable pupils to think critically, experiment freely and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. Moreover, it will help pupils reflect upon how art and design have shaped history, and learn about how art and design continues to contribute to the creativity, culture and wealth of our nation.

The Rissington School is a split site school and, whilst we embrace the differences this may bring, the children across both sites belong to one school; and as such receive the same art and design provision.

In addition to the school values of Aspire, Belong, Challenge the Art Curriculum is planned carefully to represent our school and outlying community.  Throughout the Art Curriculum our key drivers (golden threads) are woven throughout the planning, teaching and learning:

Vocabulary and language- ensuring that our pupils develop the use of a wide and ambitious vocabulary across the whole curriculum.

Resilience and independence- instilling a growth mindset, so that pupils persevere and are independent in both their learning and social skills

Equality and diversity- ensuring that learning encourages connections with both our local community and wider world

Through the Art Curriculum, we ensure that all children are active in the learning process and have implemented common language around good independent learning and characteristics of effective learning, starting from Early Years. Growth mindset is embedded, using the ‘Power of Yet!’, and understanding the importance of the 5 R's (Resilience, Responsibility, Reciprocal, Resourceful, Reflective), Growth mindset is rewarded and recognised when children support each other to overcome challenges and to be proactive in their learning. 

As part of our curriculum we promote and encourage the children to recognise The Characteristic of Effective Learning; these are:

• Go For it Gorilla - I will have a go.
• Exploring Elephant - I am an Explorer
• I know Rhino - I play with what I know
• Proud Peacock - I am proud of what I do
• Concentrating Crocodile - I join in and concentrate
• Persevering Parrot - I keep trying
• Choosing Chimp - I choose ways to do things
• Creative Chameleon - I have my own ideas
• Slinky Linky Snake - I can make links

Our Art curriculum has been designed so that all lessons give the children opportunities to display one or some of the characteristics for example making connections from previous knowledge like a Slinky Linky Snake.

Implementation

The teaching and implementation of the Art and Design Curriculum at The Rissington School is based on the National Curriculum and is linked to topics to ensure a well-structured approach to this creative subject.

The children are taught art as part of their termly topic work and more detail can be found in our Long and Medium term plans. Our young artists and designers are given a variety of experiences both in and out of the classroom, where appropriate, to engage in memorable learning opportunities which will further support and deepen their understanding and ability to respond to art. The work of famous local, national and international artists and designers will also be explored to enhance the pupil's learning.

Early Years Foundation Stage

Pupils explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities. They have opportunities to learn to:

• Explore the textures, movement, feel and look of different media and materials.
• Respond to a range of media and materials, developing their understanding of them in order to manipulate and create different effects and outcomes.
• Use media and materials to express their own ideas.
• Explore colour and use this for a particular purpose.
• Develop skills using simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately.
• Select media and techniques and adapt their work where necessary.

Key stage 1

Pupils are given opportunities to:

1. Use a range of materials and tools creatively to design and make products.
2. Use drawing, painting, collage, printing, form and digital platforms to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination.
3. Develop a wide range of art and design techniques in colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.

• Respond to and ask questions about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.

5. Work alone and collaboratively.

• Use sketchbooks as a visual diary to record their ideas, experiments and responses.

7. Talk about their creative journey and comment on the work of their peers.

Key stage 2

Pupils are taught to further develop their techniques, including selecting and controlling their use of materials with creativity. With further experimentation, they will gain an increasing awareness of different art, craft and design disciplines.

 Pupils are given opportunities to:

1. Use sketch books as a visual diary to record their ideas, research, observations, experiences, responses, reviewing their work and revisiting ideas.
2. Improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting, collage, printing, textiles, sculpture and digital with a range of materials [for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay and fabric].

• Work alone and collaboratively.

4. Talk about their creative journey and comment on the work of their peers.
5. About great artists, architects and designers in history.

At The Rissington School, we appreciate that art and design is not a linear journey and our pupils will be given as many opportunities and experiences as possible as soon as possible. Assessment of art and design is ongoing, throughout the relevant cross-curricular units of work, to inform teachers with their planning, lesson activities and differentiation. Summative assessment is completed at the end of each topic, where art and design objectives have been covered, an objective tracker on the medium term planning is used to inform teachers and leaders of necessary school improvements, or skills that need to be re-visited.

Impact

At The Rissington school our pupils are able to talk confidently about what they have learnt and created in art and design, using subject specific vocabulary.

In the Early Years, children have developed a love for experimenting with different materials, tools and mediums. They are proud of their work.

Pupil voice, throughout the school, demonstrates that pupils enjoy art and design and are able to recall their learning over time.

Pupils’ work demonstrates that art and design is taught across each year group with opportunities planned in to support pupils as well as challenging and stretching all learning including those pupils working at greater depth.

Pupils’ work, whether on display, in sketchbooks or across subject areas is of a good standard and demonstrates that pupils are acquiring knowledge, skills and vocabulary whilst also becoming more confident in experimenting.

There is clear evidence of a progression of skills. 

The Arts Council is made up of representatives from each class and  is involved in promoting art and design work and initiatives in the school.

National curriculum in England: art and design programmes of study - GOV.UK