Our Lady Queen Of Heaven Catholic Primary School

Art

Our Intent

As a school, we believe that Art and Design is a vital and important part of our Catholic education.

It enables us to reflect on the wonder of God’s creation and to develop a deep respect for the beautiful world that he has designed for us. As we strive and struggle to plan and design our own creations we can begin to truly appreciate the care, wonder and Magnificence of God’s power as The Creator. This sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around us links strongly to our school values. We are inspired, we reflect, we build resilience and confidence in a supportive environment to build independence and strength.

We study a range of great artists, craft makers and designers for inspiration, learning to appreciate and talk about art in depth and to understand the historical development of their art forms. We have the opportunity to evaluate and analyze artistic works using the language of art, craft and design. We develop confidence to express our opinions about art and to appreciate that others are entitled to their own opinion too. We strive to create an environment that celebrates innovation, is aspirational and is sensitive to the personal feelings, values and attitudes of our children.

The range of artists we study provide inspiration for our children and are used as a starting point for their own creation. We foster resilience as we progressively develop our skills and techniques in drawing, painting, sculpture and design in our lives. We build confidence through supportive co-operative work, peer assessment and planned progression in skills. We collaborate and team build on large scale projects and foster independence through opportunities to work as individuals.

At our school Art and Design is woven throughout the whole school curriculum, not a stand-alone subject. You will find it in R.E, History, Art, Literacy and Numeracy, emphasizing the importance of Art and Design in our everyday lives. Drawing is fundamental to learning and expression in all aspects of art, craft and design. Sketch books are used to research, record and gather information from observation, memory and other visual sources. Alongside this, you will find specific skill teaching and practising sessions which support progression for individuals throughout their primary years at school.

At our annual Art and Design Exhibition we celebrate our achievements throughout the year and show case the wonderful work that the children have created.

 

The aims of art and design are:

  • to enable children to record from first-hand experience and from imagination, and to select their own ideas to use in their work
  • to understand and develop skills of art, craft and design to include exploring line, tone, texture, shape, form, space, pattern, colour, contrast, composition, proportion and perspective.
  • to develop creativity and imagination through a range of activities
  • to improve the children’s ability to control materials, tools and techniques
  • to increase their critical awareness of the roles and purposes of art and design in different times and cultures
  • to develop increasing confidence in the use of visual and tactile elements and materials
  • to evaluate and discuss the outcome of their own work against declared criteria
  • to foster an enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts and a knowledge of artists, craftspeople and designers
  • to recognise the individuality of artists, crafts people and designers in their work
  • to recognise that art, craft and design differ from culture to culture and reflect the times in which they were produced
  • to increase enjoyment of other curriculum areas, through art
  • to use art as a medium to give expression of their world

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