Art

At Coltishall Primary School, Art gives children opportunities to explore ideas, develop practical skills, express themselves creatively and learn from the work of artists, craftspeople, architects and designers.

We want children to become confident and thoughtful artists who are willing to experiment, take creative risks, develop their own ideas and reflect on how their work can be improved.

Art is not simply about producing a finished piece. We place importance on the whole creative process: investigating, practising, experimenting, developing ideas, making choices and evaluating outcomes.

Our Approach

Children experience a broad range of artistic processes, materials and techniques as they move through the school.

They learn to:

• observe closely and record what they see;

• explore colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space;

• experiment with materials, tools and techniques;

• practise and develop specific artistic skills;

• generate and refine their own ideas;

• make informed creative choices;

• evaluate their own work and the work of others;

• learn from significant artists, craftspeople, architects and designers from different periods, places and cultures.

We want children to understand that artists experiment, change their minds, refine ideas and learn through the creative process.

Sketchbooks and Developing Ideas

Sketchbooks play an important role in Art at Coltishall.

Children use them to investigate ideas, practise techniques, collect visual information, record responses to artists and experiment before developing finished work.

As children progress through the school, their sketchbooks increasingly show their own creative thinking and decision-making rather than simply recording a final outcome.

Children's Art and DT books provide a record of their creative journey through the school and help make progression visible over time.

Progression

Our Art curriculum is carefully sequenced so that children revisit important knowledge and techniques with increasing control, confidence and sophistication.

Children build on previous experience in areas such as drawing, painting, printing, sculpture, textiles, collage and mixed media.

As they grow as artists, pupils are expected to become increasingly independent in selecting materials, combining techniques, developing ideas and explaining the choices they have made.

Learning from Artists

Children encounter the work of a broad range of artists and creative practitioners.

Rather than simply copying an artist's work, pupils explore how and why artists work in particular ways, experiment with techniques and ideas inspired by them, and then use this learning to inform their own creative decisions.

This helps children understand Art as a living, diverse and evolving part of culture.

Art in the Early Years

In Reception, children develop the foundations of Art through Expressive Arts and Design.

They have regular opportunities to explore colour, shape, texture, pattern and form using a wide range of materials and resources.

Children are encouraged to experiment freely, make choices, develop ideas and talk about what they have created.

These experiences establish the curiosity, confidence and practical foundations that children build on throughout the school.

Art Beyond the Lesson

Art contributes strongly to the creative life of Coltishall.

Children have opportunities to produce work for displays, exhibitions, Celebrations of Learning and other whole-school events.

Giving children opportunities to share their work with a real audience helps them see their creativity as something to be valued, discussed and celebrated.