Login
Home
Contact
Arbor

Art

Intent

At Northgate our primary intent is to have an engaging, inspiring  and challenging curriculum with high academic ambition for all pupils.  In art and design we want to equip pupils with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design.  Through our teaching we want pupils to think critically and develop a detailed understanding of art and design.  Pupils should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

The National Curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:

  • produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
  • become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
  • evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
  • know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

At Northgate our Art and design curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and the class topics.  This develops both knowledge and skills.

Art and design develops pupils’ skills and knowledge in drawing, painting, sculpture, collage and printing.  Through our Knowledge Organisers, we ensure our curriculum is taught in a logical progression, systematically and explicitly, building on previous learning and skills for future learning. 

With an exciting and positive learning environment, we are committed to use Art and Design to provide the opportunity where all pupils can use their imagination and develop their own creativity. 

Implementation

At Northgate, we incorporate Art and Design into our topic themed learning where possible, therefore pupils are immersed into the subject using a variety of practical and cross-curricular opportunities.  Teachers create a positive attitude to learning Art and Design within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all pupils are capable of achieving high standards.

Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of Art and Design involves the following;

  • Art and design is planned and taught in half termly topic blocks by the class teacher.  Knowledge organisers show progression in teaching and learning units and provide teachers with the key knowledge and vocabulary of each topic that is taught in the previous and following year group.  Teachers can use this to recap and build on prior learning successfully.  This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge and understanding as well as support the retention of facts.  
  • Through our planning, pupils are given a range of knowledge and skills based activities.  Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons (both inside the classroom and outdoor learning) which provide opportunities where a range of different media for art and design work can be used.
  • Teachers use a range of formative assessment tools to check pupils’ understanding and assess pupils regularly to identify those pupils with gaps in learning.
  • In Key Stage 1 pupils are taught about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.  This knowledge is built upon as they move into Key Stage 2 where they are taught about great artists and designers in history.
  • Art themed days allow pupils to work in groups and give valuable opportunities to use the outdoor environment.  

 Impact

  • As pupils progress through Northgate they cover the full Art and design curriculum developing their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.

  • Pupils develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.  They improve their mastery of art and design techniques in drawing, painting, collage, printing and sculpture and use a range of materials.  Pupils use their sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas.