Art & Design
“Every human is an artist” Don Miguel Ruiz
At Primrose Lane Primary School, our Art curriculum is designed to provide a clear and structured approach that supports the development of art knowledge and skills through a variety of experiences within the school, as well as through interactions with visitors and educational trips. Our Art curriculum aligns with our whole school vision, which is to nurture curious, confident, and creative individuals who are equipped with the skills and knowledge to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Our Art curriculum aligns with the National Curriculum by offering a progressive framework that enables children to explore and develop their creativity. By incorporating a range of artistic techniques and mediums including drawing, painting, print and sculpture. We aim to provide a well-rounded art education that meets the standards set by the National Curriculum.
Our Art curriculum is aspirational in nature as it aims to inspire and challenge our pupils to think creatively, express themselves artistically, and develop a deep appreciation for the arts. Through a series of small steps that culminate in a final piece, we encourage children to push their boundaries, take risks, and strive for excellence in their artistic endeavours.
Art at Primrose Lane
Year 1 Unit on Spirals
Key Concepts:
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Drawing is a physical and emotional activity. That when we draw, we can move our whole body.
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We can control the lines we make by being aware of how we hold a drawing tool, how much pressure we apply, and how fast or slow we move.
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We can draw from observation or imagination.
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We can use colour to help our drawings engage others.
In this pathway the children were enabled to build an understanding about the way they can make marks on a drawing surface. They explored how the way they held a drawing tool, and moved their bodies, would affect the drawings that they made.
The children began to explore mark-making and experiment with how they could use the marks they made in their drawings.
They were introduced to the fact that they could make drawings as a result of observation, without a seen subject matter and that they could make drawings as a result of observation. Through their drawings children were able to talk about what they could see and how it made them feel.
The focus of the exploration was around spirals – an ancient symbol and which lends itself to conversations around growth, movement and structure.
Children were introduced to sketchbooks as a place of personal exploration.
Artist studied: Molly Haslund
Year 1 Unit on Exploring Watercolours
Key Concepts:
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Watercolour paint has special characteristics.
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We can use the elements of surprise and accident to help us create art.
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We can develop our painting by reflecting upon what we see, and adding new lines and shapes to help develop imagery.
In this pathway children were introduced to watercolour. Through an open and exploratory approach, the children not only discovered what watercolour can do, how it acts and how they can “control” it, but also how the watercolour itself can help reveal the “story” of the painting.
Artist studied: Paul Klee
Year 3 Unit on Gestural Drawing with Charcoal
Key Concepts:
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When we draw we can use gestural marks to make work.
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When we draw we can use the expressive marks we make to create a sense of drama.
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When we draw we can move around.
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When we draw we can use light to make our subject matter more dramatic, and we can use the qualities of the material (charcoal) to capture the drama.
In this pathway, the children discovered how to make drawings that capture a sense of drama or performance using charcoal.
Children were free from the constraints of creating representational drawings based on observation – instead they use the qualities of the medium to work in dynamic ways. Linking drawing to the whole body helped the children to see drawing as a physical activity, whilst a sense of narrative feeds the imagination.
Artist studied - Heather Hansen
Year 6 Print and Activism
Key Concepts:
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Artists can use art as a way to express their opinions, using their skills to speak for sectors of society.
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Artists acting as activists often use print because it allows them to duplicate and distribute their message.
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A carefully chosen image can be a powerful way to communicate as it is direct and crosses boundaries of language.
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Through art as activism we can come together.
In this pathway the children were introduced to the idea that they can use art as a way of sharing their passions and interests with their peers and community. We started introducing the children to an artist who is an activist, and then we went on to help the children to identify and voice the things that they cared about as individuals.
Artist: Shepard Fairey
Year 6 2D drawing to 3D making
Key Concepts:
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Drawing and making have a close relationship.
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Drawing can be used to transform a two dimensional surface, which can be manipulated to make a three dimensional object.
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When we transform two dimensional surfaces we can use line, mark making, value, shape, colour, pattern and composition to help us create our artwork.
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We can use methods such as the grid method and looking at negative space to help us draw.
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There is a challenge involved in bringing two dimensions to 3 dimensions which we can solve with a combination of invention and logic.
