Art and Design is a pivotal part of the curriculum in order to engage, inspire and challenge children. It is a powerful, vivid and vibrant part of our teaching and as a result, equips our pupils to become better learners.
The importance that Art has had in reflecting the history and shaping of our culture is fundamental to the contribution of creativity and wealth of civilisation. Studying a range of Art opens up a world of curiosity and questions that help enrich our pupils’ knowledge. Exploring art from around the world celebrates cultural diversity and mirrors the inclusive community of our school. It equips our children with the knowledge and skills to create their own works of art, as well as explore and evaluate the work of others. At Maple, the children are encouraged to think critically and to develop a deeper understanding of Art and Design through a range of expressive opportunities. They experiment and invent their own designs and select a suitable media to present these in. We also look at the work of other artists and the skills and techniques that they use. Evaluating and sharing personal opinions surrounding a text helps to shape children’s attitudes about their own work. Art is vital to a child’s development as it promotes children’s self-worth, their creative expression and also valuing the work of others. Art and Design supports our Growth Mindset ethos, where children recognise a mistake as a positive learning opportunity.
The freedom that Art and Design allows for children to attempt test and practise any ideas in a safe yet stimulating environment. Within our teaching of Art at Maple we explore a variety of skills and techniques to support our children as young artists:
To use a range of materials creatively to design and make products
To use drawing, painting and sculpture to showcase and develop art
To use pattern, colour, texture, line, shape, form and space to develop our art and design techniques
To explore and evaluate a range of work from various artists, craft makers and designer