CREATIVE ARTS POLICY

January 2011

CONTENTS

1.Why We Teach Art

2.Our Aims for Art

3.How We Teach Art

4.The Role of the Art Manager

5.Display

6.Assessment

7.Equal Opportunities/Inclusion

8.Special Educational Needs

9.Differentiation

10.Resources

11.Safety

12.Cross Curricular Links

13.I.C.T.

14.The Contribution of Art to Spiritual Moral and Cultural Education

15.Appendices – Vocabulary

Glossary

Understanding the Elements of Art

Influential Artists

Level descriptions

Inclusion

1.Why We Teach Art

“The Arts are fundamental in developing a whole person.”

5-16 HMSO

“The Arts have a direct link with the aesthetic, creative, spiritual and moral dimension and are also an important part of mathematical and scientific thinking.”

“The Arts develop transferable skills (e.g. interpreting, problem solving, communicating, collaborating), which permeate the whole curriculum.”

“The Arts promote an understanding and appreciation of a range of values, attitudes and beliefs. This helps children to understand themselves and their place in the world.”

Arts Guidance for Birmingham Primary Guarantee

“Art provides a distinct means of making images and models of the world in order to understand and communicate about a wide range of human experience and action. It is concerned with creation of personal and social meanings, and also, through design activity with capacities to make or modify in our world. Art provides a means of educating children to make judgements about the nature of quality and usefulness.”

Birmingham Curriculum Statement

“To allow children to explore their own creative ideas, use a wide range of media and become acquainted with the artistic techniques and styles of artists from diverse cultures which may influence their own work.”

“To enable children to express their observations, aesthetic appreciation and enjoyment of the natural and man-made environment, through a variety of practical activities and experiences.

The Staff of Canterbury Cross

2. Our Aims for Art

At Canterbury Cross we aim to ensure that:-

A broad and balanced programme of art work is undertaken including work in drawing, painting, printing, textiles, ceramics and 3D modeling/sculpture and design.

  • The children develop an awareness of the visual elements of line, tone, pattern, colour, texture, shape, form and space through careful teaching.
  • The children are introduced to a range of work from artists, craft workers and designers of different genders, cultures and working in different times and traditions.
  • The children have an opportunity to record what they see but also exercise their memory and imaginative skills in art activities.
  • The children become skilled in using a variety of art materials, tools and techniques. They should come to know and understand when, why and to what ends these have been used by other artists and how this might influence their work on similar themes.
  • Previous achievements and skills are taken into account when planning new work for children that will extend their capabilities.
  • The children have time to focus on an area of interest, extending their involvement and producing work from a sustained investigation over several sessions.
  • Discrete time is given for the teaching of specific art skills and knowledge as appropriate.
  • An art vocabulary is used and extended in discussing art works and the making process.
  • The children have the opportunity to work individually, in pairs, in large and small groups and on differing scales form miniature to life sized.
  • The children develop skills of evaluation and judgement about their own work as well as that of others.

Taken from “Art Guidance for the Birmingham Primary Guarantee”

3. How We Teach Art

The teaching of art at Canterbury Cross will endeavour to fulfill the aims set out in this policy in accordance with the National Curriculum orders and programmes of study.

The Early Learning Goals provide the framework for Creative Development in the Foundation Stage. Teachers can adopt a flexible approach to teaching and assessing creative development across the curriculum.

The scheme of work covers the six areas of art: drawing, painting, textiles, ceramics, 3D/sculpture modeling and printing. Key Stage 1 and 2 will do a unit of drawing, painting, textiles, printing, ceramics, and 3D sculptural/modelling will be covered across a two year cycle.

Time Allocation

KS1 – 1 hour and 15 minutes 5.8%

KS2 – 1 hour and 30 minutes 6.2%

Year 1, 3 and 4 will concentrate on drawing, painting and textiles.

Year 2, 4 and 6 will concentrate on drawing, painting, ceramics and 3D sculpture/modeling.

Additional units will be covered by some year groups to fit in with their half-termly topics. This topic based approach is careful not to use art just as a tool to illustrate topic work, but uses aspects of topic work as a stimulus for art activities.

The plan aims to provide a balance programme of art, craft and design activities which build on previous experience, achievement and providing progression in the process.

Teachers must ensure that all appropriate skills, techniques and art elements have been covered in order for continuity and progression to be achieved.

The children will be exposed to the work of sculptors, photographers, craft workers and designers in addition to that of the artists.

Pupils will be encouraged to work individually, in groups and as a whole class in a variety of contexts and for different purposes.

Visits to the Museum and ArtGallery will be planned in connection with relevant modules. Money from the art budget will be set aside for bringing artists and craft workers into school.

The artistic process is vital and it will be ensured that in every task children have the opportunity to express ideas, opinions and feelings, to challenge their thinking through focused questioning, experimenting with the materials and ideas, to design, make and modify their work and to appreciate the work of others.

A visual language will be developed by frequent contact with rich sensory experiences and a wide range of materials.

4. The Role of the Art Manager

The Manager has responsibility, alongside the Head Teacher and the Governors, for the progression and co-ordination of the teaching and assessment of art, within the school.

The Manager’s role is:-

  • To ensure that the planned curriculum meets internal and external demands and is of a high quality.
  • To overview the assessment and recording of children’s work to

meet their needs, the school’s, and those of the National Curriculum.

  • To advise and support staff in the implementation of the curriculum, providing them with resources required.
  • To promote understanding of the essential elements of art and

design and their integration across the curriculum.

  • To feed back to colleagues updated information from courses

and meetings, and promote the case for the professional development of all staff in this area through their attendance at external courses and INSET on site.

  • To ensure equal opportunities and inclusion for all to receive a balanced art, craft and design curriculum, where works of art from a variety of cultures are studied free from bias and where the materials and equipment provided can suit the needs of all children.

5. Display

At Canterbury Cross we feel that display is very important for the children, parents, staff and all visitors to the school.

Good displays create a positive impression of the school.

Displays should:-

  • Provide a rich environment by being attractive and well mounted
  • Help and inform children’s learning
  • Show evidence of the process by which a final piece of work has been achieved
  • Occasionally offer the opportunity to look at, smell, hear or touch something new
  • Occasionally be in relief rather than always flat
  • Always be well cared for and not allowed to become tatty or dusty as this does not give the children positive messages about how we view their work and education
  • Interactive involving children wherever possible

Classsroom Displays

Displays should be relevant and reflect the work that is going on in the classroom. They should be changed as and when necessary.

Teachers should try and ensure that during an academic year one piece of work from each child is displayed.

Labels for Displays

The children, both in and out of school are exposed to many kinds of print. Labels for displays will be made in a variety of ways including:-

  • Using stencils in a variety of sizes
  • Computer generated
  • Handwritten in a variety of styles
  • Multicultural if possible

Gallery

The children will have the opportunity to have their artwork framed and displayed in the school gallery. Due to limited spaces a few pieces of work will be chosen by each year group.

6. Assessment

Why do we assess art?

  • To celebrate achievement and to increase children’s motivation
  • To inform the teacher about the child’s knowledge and about what the child can actually do
  • To highlight any difficulties
  • To enable any future learning objectives to be set
  • To inform the parents and the child’s next teacher or school

When do we assess work?

Assessment will be ongoing but there are many opportunities in the classroom. For example:

  • During practical sessions
  • During discussion activities
  • When discussing work in progress
  • When the children talk about their own work or other artists’ work in a variety of contexts
  • When the children make their own self-assessments

At the end of each module allow opportunities to discuss techniques, skills and to evaluate their work, making references to the areas of experience and techniques, whether the children enjoyed the work, whether they found it easy or difficult, what they had learned and what modifications would be made if they were to do the work at another time.

Reports

End of year reports are to be used as an end of year record of assessment. Level descriptions can be referred to for a ‘best fit judgement.’ (Appendices).

Marking

Artwork needs to be marked. Feedback should be given on a piece of work either verbally or in written form during the lesson, plenary or next lesson. Comments should be in line with specific objectives.

7. Equal Opportunities/Inclusion

The teaching of art should promote the Equal Opportunity and Inclusion policies. Children of both sexes and all cultural backgrounds should have equal experiences and access to a broad and balanced programme of art activities.

It is recognised that art, craft and design is produced by children from all cultural backgrounds, Western and Non-Western, by both genders and people with a range of disabilities. At Canterbury Cross we attempt this by providing art which originates from a variety of these groups.

The teaching of art at Canterbury Cross will endeavour to fulfil the three principles (appendices) that are essential to developing a more inclusive art curriculum.

These are:-

  • Setting suitable learning challenges
  • Responding to the pupils’ diverse learning needs
  • Overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for

individuals and groups

8. Special Educational Needs

At Canterbury Cross we do not make the assumption that a child with Special Educational Needs in other curriculum areas will necessarily have particular difficulties with, or a talent for art. Neither do we believe that a child with sound ability in other areas will not have special needs in art.

It is the teacher’s task to help the child with special needs in art to experience success and some degree of satisfaction. The Art Manager and S.E.N.C.O. will support and/or advise.

Points to consider are:-

  • Differentiating to meet individual needs
  • How children experiencing difficulties with art will make progress
  • Offering additional tactile experiences for children with visual impairments
  • Adapting tools and equipment to meet physical needs
  • How children can express themselves in art given a variety of starting points, e.g. a speech or a language difficulty
  • The difference between progress made in practical work and the ability to verbalise that experience

Children with outstanding abilities could be encouraged by:-

  • Providing opportunities for them to develop their ideas further
  • Being introduced to new media skills and concepts
  • Being set specific problems for them to resolve that require a more disciplined response.

9. Differentiation

The children will be given opportunities to work individually, with a partner, in groups and as a whole class. They will most often be making an individual response to a whole class or group stimulus/task. Art activities essentially require a personal response, so for many activities a child will be able to respond at their own level within the group. Differentiation can be by task, support or outcome.

Evidence to be kept

Portfolio:

A portfolio will be shared between two children. The children will choose which pieces of work will go into the portfolio but only one piece of work will be put in to represent each module. Portfolios should be passed up to the next teacher at the end of each academic year.

If the work has been used for display purposes, it will be put into the portfolio at a later date.

All pieces of work need the child’s name, class and date on the back.

Photographs:

Photographs will be taken of work undertaking in a group or of a 3D nature. These photographs will be kept in a Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2 album.

Sketchbooks:

Each child will have a sketchbook which will include collections, ideas, experiments and the process involved in producing the final piece of work for each module. Sketchbooks should be passed up to the next teacher at the end of the academic year.

10. Resources

The Art Manager will be responsible for ordering and maintaining an appropriate stock of resources to ensure that staff are able to deliver the National Curriculum.

Staff will be kept aware of available resources by an up to date resources list. All classrooms will have appropriate equipment and other supplies will be stored centrally in the Art stockroom. (Resource Room 3).

It is the responsibility of the class teacher/teaching assistant to make sure that all equipment is handled safely, used correctly and put away properly.

11. Safety

In a practical activity such as art, it is not possible to remove all the risks. It is important that the children should be well supervised and learn to use equipment with due care and wear protective clothing (aprons or shirts) when necessary. There are a number of tools which are potentially dangerous, e.g. scissors and knives. It is important to have provision with the classrooms for their safe storage.

12. Cross Curricular Links

Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of pattern, colour, light and shade can be developed through art, maths and science activities. Curriculum overlap is evident when pupils engage in interpreting information, looking for pattern and shape, suggesting relationships, making predictions and analysing observations. These important skills are common to art, maths and should be identified wherever possible.

The working relationship between art, language, maths, science and technology is based on the sharing process of communicating, exploring, investigating, observing and analysing.

Pupils are required to discuss and evaluate their work and that of others. Drawing is a powerful means of communication and contributes to pupils’ early language development. There is a close connection between art and language in children’s early story telling.

Much of children’s speaking and listening will generate the need to make associated images that will draw upon their ability to recall events or speculate about the appearance of things.

Children’s books provide a wealth of opportunities to talk about art.

Art and the humanities share a number of similar concerns and concepts. These subjects have common roots in learning about life in other communities. Archaeology is essentially the study of past civilisations through their art, buildings, images and artifacts.

Visits to places of religious or historical interest can contribute to pupils’ art capability and provide a greater understanding of cultural diversity.

The role and scope of design in art needs to be emphasised. Design contributes to many aspects of the curriculum especially in design and technology.

13. ICT

All year groups have been given suggestions as to how I.C.T. can be incorporated into their scheme of work. In Key Stage 1 pupils should be given opportunities to use the computer to explore shape, colour and pattern. In Key Stage 2 pupils could use digital cameras to record observations or use as a starting point for creative textile work. Pupils could develop their own class art gallery on the school or the BGFL website.

14. The Contribution of Art to Spiritual, Moral and Cultural Education

The scheme of work in Art to the spiritual, moral and cultural development of pupils by:

  • Reflecting on human experiences
  • Developing a sense of awe and wonder
  • Considering ways people have sought to explain the universe and the purpose of life
  • Encouraging pupils to reflect on their own identity
  • Awareness of the mystery that lies at the heart of all being
  • Heightening the quality of pupils’ perceptions
  • Exploring the creative power of the arts/aesthetic communication

CURRICULUM AUDIT SMSC – ART

No. A WAYS OF PROMOTING SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT AR

1 SP encouraging children to consider their own values and attitudes Y

2 SP reflecting on human experiences Y

6 SP developing a sense of awe and wonder

8 SP promoting awareness of the value of a non-material dimension to life Y

10 SP being concerned about the search for truth Y

11 SP promoting self-understanding Y

13 SP opportunity for problem-solving and discovery Y

16 SP encouraging the enjoyment and excitement of learning Y

17 SP requiring pupils to think for themselves Y

20 SP encouraging an openness to being challenged through learning Y

22 SP providing opportunities to see from another person’s perspective Y