“Every child is an artist. The problem is to remain an artist once they grow up.” – Pablo Picasso.

At Norfolk Community Primary School, we believe that Art is instrumental to development. It allows each child to express themselves and become self-aware.

Our Art curriculum is based on four elements: 

*skills

*knowledge

*exposure

*evaluation. 

Skills

We aim to motivate and challenge pupils, equipping them with the tools and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design.  All pupils will learn skills for drawing, painting, printing, sculpting and collage.  Sketch books are used to record observations, practise skills and build confidence, before creating well thought out final pieces of work.  The skills are built upon over the years as the children increase in confidence and ability.  

Knowledge

Where possible, we link our artistic projects to the wider curriculum.  Inspiration is drawn from learning about famous art work, both historical and contemporary.  Pupils are taught that art is subjective – different people may love or hate the same piece of art – and that this is okay!  This helps to build up confidence in those children who think they are ‘no good at art’.

Exposure

Pupils are exposed to a range of comparable and contrasting artists throughout their school career, broadening their knowledge. Key artists are revisited to embed learning.

Evaluation

Pupils are encouraged to evaluate and analyse creative works, developing their artistic language. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design, assessing their own work and the work of their peers.

For more information, please take a look at the Art National Curriculum below.

Art and Design Overview

Art and Design

Purpose of study

Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Aims

The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:

produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

Subject content

Key stage 1 pupils will be taught:

to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products
to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination
to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space
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.

Key stage 2 pupils will be taught:

to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.
to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas
to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials [for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay]
about great artists, architects and designers in history.