Implementation
How do we teach Art and Design?
The teaching and implementation of the Art and Design Curriculum at Bridekirk Dovenby CE Primary School is based on the National Curriculum and delivered using the Kapow Scheme which ensures a well-structured approach to this creative subject and is designed with five strands that run throughout:
These are:
We carefully chose this scheme as these strands are revisited in every unit that we teach. In the Art and design skills and Formal elements of art units, pupils have the opportunity to learn and practise skills discretely. The knowledge and skills from these units are then applied throughout the other units. Key skills are revisited again and again with increasing complexity in a spiral curriculum model. This allows pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. We find the units fully scaffold and support essential, sequenced learning and are flexible enough to be adapted for form cross-curricular links and of course, work by local artists. Creativity and independent outcomes are robustly embedded into our units, supporting children in learning how to make their own creative choices and decisions, so that their art outcomes, whilst being knowledge-rich, are unique and personal to our children and our school.
The children are taught Art during a weekly lesson following the Kapow Scheme. Staff have flexibility to choose an Art & Design or Design and Technology topic which they feel best fits the rest of their curriculum. This is shown in the Long Term Plan for 2021-22 academic year. Differentiation is available in all lessons to ensure that all children can access and above all enjoy their art lessons; providing opportunities to stretch pupils' learning are also available where required. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.
At Bridekirk Dovenby CE Primary School, children in Early Years and Key Stage One produce a collaborative sketch book alongside their teacher, who models sketch book working.
In Lower Key Stage Two, children have their own sketchbook. Input into their sketchbooks is ‘taught’ or guided by teachers following CPD led by the Art & Design Co-ordinator.
In Upper Key Stage Two, children are encouraged to develop their own style for producing sketchbook pages linked to the scheme lessons in preparation for Key Stage Three.
CPD
Our subject lead, alongside the Kapow scheme, supports teachers who may lack confidence in their own artistic abilities. Subject specialist videos support staff and help pupils to see art techniques modelled by experts to ensure our art delivery is of the highest quality. School led CPD ensures that all staff feel supported and have the opportunity to develop their own knowledge and skills, building confidence to transfer these to our children.
Staff are also encouraged to enrol in their own training through the National College. Staff meetings are also used to keep staff up to date and ensure there are no gaps in knowledge.
Resources
School has a good selection of resources available for the teaching of art and design. We also have an audit system where staff are able to order any specific items they may need.
Enrichment
Our children’s learning is further enhanced by annual an ‘Arts Days’ where children work independently or collaboratively in smaller mixed age groups which enables them to access more detailed and skills based activities. Teaching staff including TA’s are supported to plan an ‘arts’ activity linked to different themes, such as ‘Arts from around the World’, ‘The formal elements of Art’ or ‘Celebrations’.