Art

At Tetherdown, we believe that Art is an important part of a child’s entitlement to a creative broad curriculum. Art provides our children with not only the opportunities to develop and extend their skills, but also a chance to express their individual interests and ideas. Art, craft, and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity and we strive to deliver a high-quality art education that engages, inspires, and challenges pupils; equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment and create their own works of art. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically, evaluate and develop a more rigorous understanding of art through appreciation lessons that span a wide range of art movements, artists, styles, and forms as they move through the school. They will learn to value art and design, understanding how it has both reflected and shaped our history, and contributed to the culture, creativity, and wealth of our nation.

1.  Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
2.  Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
3.  Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
4.  Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

At Tetherdown we follow the ‘Generating ideas, Making, Knowledge, Evaluation’ approach to teaching Art, which is supported by NSEAD (The National Society for Education in Art and Design). In every year group, children will learn about a variety of artists and the artist will underpin the style of art the children will study.

After learning about a particular artist, children will invest time in developing their arts skills in that area, with a clear progression of skills seen in their sketchbooks. At the end of the unit, children will plan and create a final piece of art in the style of or inspired by the artist and reflect on the skills they have developed throughout the unit. Regular opportunities to share their creations with other members of the school are present.

Art learning is recorded in sketchbooks, we encourage children to treat their sketchbooks like journals and their thoughts and learning are recorded in a format that they would like to use. Each child is unique, and each sketchbook should be unique, enabling children to develop their independence and creativity.

Teachers assess children’s knowledge, understanding and skills in Art by making observations of the children working during lessons. Feedback given to children by their peers or teachers is in the form of discussions. Children are also encouraged to be critical of their own work, filling in evaluations and developing their own next steps.

Our children enjoy the self-expression that they experience in both Art. They are always keen to learn new skills and work hard to perfect those shown to them. The children’s art is used to help them express feelings and emotions, as well as show their knowledge and understanding of other subjects such as history, geography, and science. Through their art and design, the children are able to reach out into the community, with our pupil’s artwork proudly displayed in school and beyond.