What does Art look like in our ACORN curriculum – INTENT & IMPLEMENTATION 

A: Children become informed about the subject discipline of art and the process takes place alongside a growing love for the subject.  

C: Meaningful opportunities for self-expression and individual response are woven through the curriculum, giving children space to learn who they are as an artist strengthening their identity. Specific units and artists have been added to the curriculum to introduce balance, reflecting the cultural diversity and differences of our school. 

O: Art activities include verbal observations and the opportunity to evaluate and discuss works of artists and themselves build their oracy. The teaching part of our lessons introduce key vocabulary (sticky words) which children are encouraged to use during discussions and weave into any written outcomes. 

R:  Children are given the opportunity to make links and understand the relationships of how art shapes our history and contributes to our culture. It looks at key movements and historical periods in the history of Western art, studying art from ancient Greece and Rome, Anglo Saxon England, the middle-ages, the Italian renaissance, Victorian art and architecture, French impressionism and modernism of the 20th century. This allows the children to approach their study of art with a degree of confidence and ‘expertise’ and to consolidate their knowledge by creating connections between the different disciplines. 

N: Children are encouraged to use sketchbooks that may include written reflections on the work of other artists/designers/architects, as well as the children’s written reflections on their own work. These opportunities allow our children to be self-aware, critical thinking and resilient, enabling them to learn and grow from previous work. Our art curriculum also gives rich knowledge to enable our pupils to be aspirational and be able to be confident to discuss art in the world around them. 

IMPACT 

When our pupils leave us, they will have developed their wider art subject knowledge and take with them a bank of fundamental art skills learnt through quality first teaching. They will be confident young artists who appreciate the work of others having encountered our knowledge rich curriculum and having engaged in discussions, observations and explorations in art. 

 

EYFS

Expressive Arts and Design (EAD) is an essential area of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). It encourages children to explore various media, discover how they can be combined, and create unique effects. Through EAD, children develop a wide range of skills and techniques, experimenting with color, design, texture, form, and function.

In our nurturing environment, children have daily access to diverse creative opportunities. Well-planned and well-resourced creative areas are available both indoors and outdoors. Children are encouraged to express themselves on both small and large scales, with our outdoor environment particularly supporting large-scale creations.

Our dedicated staff foster the development of communication and language skills by encouraging children to discuss their artistic creations and share them with others. As they engage in expressive arts, children revisit and master various art skills, aligning with the Early Learning Goals (ELGs) within the Early Years Framework.

 

“You need to know how to cut and paint to be a good artist, Henri Matisse cuts. He is good”.  

“Art is important because it helps us be creative and helps us with careers in the future.  If we didn’t do it, we wouldn’t have the experience.”  

“I like it when we learn about artists, I really liked Henry Moore. I can sketch, paint and sculpt and use different things for sculpting like metal.”