At Highfield Primary School we believe that a high-quality Art and Design curriculum will develop creativity, sets challenges, engage and inspire our children and equip them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. Through the delivery of our curriculum, we aim to give all children the confidence to express themselves through a range of chosen mediums. It will provide them with an opportunity to experience all art forms: drawing, painting, 3D designs and print making and they will be encouraged to experiment with a range of different materials and techniques to bring their ideas to life. Our children will also be taught how Art and Design has contributed to our culture, our history and that of the wider world.

Our Art and Design Curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils:

• have the opportunity to record from first-hand experience and from imagination
• develop opportunities to select their own ideas for use in their work
• develop creativity and imagination through a range of complex activities
• develop the ability to control materials, tools and techniques
• increase their critical awareness of the roles and purposes of art and design in different times and cultures
• develop increasing confidence in the use of visual and tactile elements and materials
• foster an enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts and a knowledge of artists, craftspeople and designers

These aims are embedded across our Art and Design lessons and in the wider curriculum.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage (E.Y.F.S.) setting, our Art and Design provision is delivered through the Specific Areas of: Physical Development and Expressive Arts and Design

In Nursery our children are taught to:

• use large-muscle movements to paint and make marks
• choose the right resources to carry out their own plan
• use one-handed tools and equipment, for example, making snips in paper with scissors
• use a comfortable grip with good control when holding pens and pencils
• explore different materials freely, in order to develop their ideas about how to use them and what to make
• develop their own ideas and then decide which materials to use to express them
• join different materials and explore different textures
• create closed shapes with continuous lines, and begin to use these shapes to represent objects
• draw with increasing complexity and detail, such as representing a face with a circle and including details
• use drawing to represent ideas like movement or loud noises
• show different emotions in their drawings and paintings
• explore colour and colour mixing

In Reception our children are taught to:

• develop their small motor skills so that they can use a range of tools competently, safely and confidently
• use their core muscle strength to achieve a good posture when sitting at a table or sitting on the floor
• use a range of small tools, including scissors, paintbrushes
• begin to show accuracy and care when drawing
• explore, use and refine a variety of artistic effects to express their ideas and feelings
• return to and build on their previous learning, refining ideas and developing their ability to represent them
• create collaboratively, sharing ideas, resources and skills
• safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function
• share their creations, explaining the process they have used

In the E.Y.F.S, Art and Design is taught through a thematic approach, which enables the children to explore their knowledge and understanding of the world in context.

In Key Stages One and Two, Art and Design is taught in weekly blocks. This approach enables children to have a more focused and immersive experience so that knowledge can become more deeply embedded and previous knowledge recalled quickly and built upon sequentially.

Our curriculum is designed to ensure that exciting and engaging units, relevant to our children, provide solid building blocks to develop the children’s knowledge, skills and concepts. Tasks are carefully selected, adapted and designed to provide appropriate challenges to all learners and to develop independent working and confidence. Opportunities for our pupils to practise Art and Design techniques when using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space are embedded across the curriculum through the use of individual sketchbooks. Our curriculum is also designed to equip our pupils with the knowledge and skills required to have an understanding of the language of Art and Design, enabling them to describe what they see in detail and to provide evidence for their observations.

Ultimately, our aim is for our children to be proficient in a range of Art and Design techniques whilst also being able to express themselves in a practical and inspiring way. Through the experience of learning about a wide range of art, from various cultures, we have developed in our children a passion and love of Art and Design as well as fostering in them a respect, natural inquisitiveness and an appreciation of it in all its forms. By the time they leave Highfield for the next stage of their life, our children will have developed a secure understanding of their own and others’ cultural heritages, which will be carried with them throughout their lives.