Overview for Art

At Houghton Primary School, our aims and vision for Art, alongside those stated in the National Curriculum, are:​

• To develop an understanding of the breadth of arts and crafts, and how they link to our cultural heritage.​

• To develop pupils’ understanding of how art and craft can be a response to historical or geographical contexts.​

• To promote growth mindset and wellbeing through opportunities to experiment, make choices, practice mindfulness and express differences and opinions.​

• To make links between visual arts and career pathways.​

• To develop pupils’ skills through close observation.​

• To develop skills in drawing, painting, sculpting and printing, with a range of materials.​

• To foster an emotional and spiritual response in pupils to the visual world.

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Our school Christian vision is ‘Love one another as I have loved you’ and in art the children are encouraged to reflect on each other’s achievements to provide support and inspiration for one another. They are taught to treat each other’s work as you would want others to treat yours, especially when passing comments on others' artwork. ​

Art promotes our learning characteristics by:

• Encouraging children to be curious and creative, exploring what they can achieve using a range of media, tools, techniques, and artistic styles.
• Ensuring that all children actively participate in the creative process and understand that artistic skills develop through practice, effort, and experimentation.
• Developing problem-solving skills by challenging pupils to overcome creative obstacles, such as mixing and creating colours using a limited range of paints and resources.
• Fostering resilience and perseverance as children learn new techniques and apply these independently within their own artwork.
• Encouraging pupils to reflect on their own work and the work of others, helping them to identify strengths, areas for development, and next steps in their learning.
• Promoting confidence and independence by giving children opportunities to make creative choices and express their own ideas through art.

Art can be used across the curriculum to stimulate discussion and deepen understanding in subjects such as History, Geography, Music, Mathematics, and Religious Education. Meaningful links can be made between art and these subjects, helping pupils to develop cross-curricular connections. For example, discussions about the accuracy and interpretation of historical or religious portraits can support children who may find written information less accessible. Similarly, links between map drawing, pattern, shape, and proportion provide opportunities to reinforce mathematical concepts through artistic activities.

Our art curriculum is organised into nine areas of study, which are revisited and developed progressively as children move through school. Key areas such as sketching, colour mixing, painting, and working with a range of media are taught in every year group, with skills building upon prior learning to ensure progression and mastery over time. During their time at Houghton Primary School, pupils will explore and develop their knowledge and skills through the following themes within art:

• Sketching​

• Colour Mixing​

• Painting​

• Printing​

• Textiles​

• Ceramics​

• Sculpture​

• Collage​

• Media 

Teachers plan each area of study in art around a 'do, review, improve' structure. Children are encouraged to explore and experiment with new concepts before teachers model the skills and techniques needed to achieve the intended learning outcomes. This process is supported through the study of a range of artists who demonstrate the skills and techniques being taught within their own work. Pupils then apply their learning through a series of self and peer review activities, enabling them to refine their ideas and create a final piece of artwork.

The curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils have opportunities to work with a wide range of media and explore different artistic styles. Children are introduced to artists from a variety of genders, backgrounds, cultures, artistic movements, and historical periods. They are encouraged to engage with a diverse range of artworks and to share their thoughts and feelings about them in an environment where all opinions are valued and respected.

During each area of study, children will have the opportunity to learn, develop and apply a range of artistic skills while working with different media that they may not have access to outside of school. Pupils will be introduced to a variety of artistic styles and given time to experiment with and explore these approaches independently. They will be exposed to a wide range of artwork and encouraged to discuss their likes and dislikes, providing reasons to justify their opinions. Children will also learn about artists from diverse backgrounds and explore how their experiences, culture and environment have influenced their work. During their time at Houghton, pupils will have the opportunity to visit an art gallery, enabling them to experience and engage with artwork first-hand.

 

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