Intent

Helmdon Primary School aims to inspire and develop children’s confidence to experiment and invent their own works of art.  Learning within art, craft and design stimulates creativity and imagination, providing visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a special way of understanding and responding to the world. A high-quality art and design education should inspire, engage and challenge children - enabling pupils to communicate what they see, feel and think through the use of colour, texture, form and pattern, making a creative response to a variety of stimulus. We place an emphasis on encouraging exploratory journeys, working towards varied and individual outcomes. Our art curriculum encourages children to shape their environment through the use of different creative techniques. They explore ideas and meaning through the work of artists and as they learn about the history, roles and functions of art, they explore the impact that it has on life and culture.

Implementation

Helmdon Primary School follows the Access Art Split Primary Art Curriculum, which has been developed by experts in the field. Our Art teaching is aspirational yet accessible. Our curriculum aims to be broad and rich, contemporary and diverse. By keeping our understanding of all discipline areas (drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture) as open as possible we ensure that we keep art inclusive and accessible to all. 

At Helmdon Primary School children develop their artistic skills and knowledge through Access Art’s ‘Pathways.’  Each pathway is grouped into one of the following areas of focus or themes, which are covered in all year groups allowing for repeated practice alongside new projects, building skills and knowledge.

Art lessons are taught every other half term, with 6 lessons covering each pathway.  In each pathway children study artists, designers and craftspeople, learning from the way they see the world rather than simply making copies of their style. We believe art is subjective and experiential. There are many types of knowledge which are best understood when embedded in experience.  

Impact

By the end of their time with us, children will have learned, improved and embedded a range of artistic skills. Through enabling pupils to think about the purpose of art and artists to all our lives, we will ensure that as children grow they are able to express and better understand themselves and the world in which they live. Pupils will be confident to explore, experiment and take risks, placing value on the process and journey that they take, not just on the finished product. Utilising a sketchbook approach, children will feel safe to experiment and take risks, without the fear of doing something "wrong".  Most importantly, we want children to have found and enjoyed a creative outlet – a means of self-expression and enjoyment.

Assessment

There are no national standards set in art for primary-aged children. Conversation-based assessment in art takes place on an ongoing basis.  The conversations might take place as a class, as a group, or one to one and will feed into processes of reflection and evaluation. These conversations and opportunities for reflection take place throughout the creative process, making assessment meaningful and relevant.