Inspiring Faith, Love and Learning

Art

Vision Statement for Art and Design

At St Thomas’, we aim to encourage and celebrate a love of Art, where there are no boundaries. Our commitment allows children within all abilities and needs to connect creatively and emotionally, in turn supporting them to progress both personally and academically during their time at our school.

All children are encouraged to engage with Art through immersing them with relevant, fun and meaningful high-quality experiences across the whole of the curriculum. Art is explored using a variety of media, where children can investigate new and alternative techniques and styles from a range of artists. Sketch books are incorporated in Key Stage two to record experiences and imagination so that pupils have space to develop ideas and demonstrate how their artistic ability has progressed.

Through St Thomas’ Art curriculum, we aim to enable the children to become enthusiastic, curious and independent thinkers through being inspired by specialist artists that challenge and spark their imagination and thinking. Pupils are exposed to different perspectives through observation leading them to be curious and make personal discoveries. We aim for our artists to be motivated, reflective and resilient learners through the celebration of achievement at a variety of levels both in classrooms and across the whole school. We encourage our pupils become tolerant and responsible citizens through the understanding that everyone is unique and special. In art, pupils have access to cultural richness and diversity enabling them to appreciate and enjoy the arts that enrich lives in the world around us.

We grow together in Art and Design by:

• Developing the ability to use visual language skilfully and convincingly to express emotions, interpret observations, convey insights and accentuate their individuality.

• Having the skills to communicate fluently in visual and tactile form.

• Showing the ability to draw confidently and adventurously from observation, memory and imagination.

• Being confident enough to explore and invent marks, develop and deconstruct ideas and communicate perceptively and powerfully through purposeful drawing in 2D, 3D or digital media.

• Showing an impressive knowledge and understanding of other artists, craftmakers and designers.

• Having the ability to think and act like creative practitioners by using their knowledge and understanding to inform, inspire and interpret ideas, observations and feelings.

• Applying independence, initiative and originality which they can use to develop their creativity.

• Using their own knowledge to select and use materials, processes and techniques skilfully and inventively to realise intentions and capitalise on the unexpected.

• Being able to reflect on, analyse and critically evaluate their own work and that of others.

• Having a passion for and a commitment to the subject.

As artists, we aim to follow our school’s curriculum vision in order to

Be Curious, Be Knowledgeable, Be Creative, Be Compassionate,
Be Reflective, Be Courageous.

Growing together through faith in Jesus Christ, ‘Let all you do be done in love.’

(1 Corinthians 16).

Art and Design Policy

Art Progression Document