Curriculum EYFS

We will be adding our latest approach to the EYFS curriculum as soon as possible.

Intent

Our Art and Design Curriculum has been designed through collaborative work with primary subject leaders and KS3 specialists. The curriculum narrative has been carefully planned to develop a child’s early creative experiences and build upon them each year, enabling them to express themselves in a practical and inspiring way. Through learning about a wide range of art and crafts, from various cultures, we hope to not only develop the children’s passion and love of the subject but also build a respect, natural inquisitiveness and an appreciation of art in all its forms which they may carry with them throughout their lives. Art and Design stimulates imagination and creativity; involving children in a range of visual, tactile and sensory experiences, which enable them to communicate what they see, think and feel in a range of ways, regardless of their ability; it promotes careful observation and an appreciation of the world around us. Through learning about the roles and functions of art, children can explore the impact it has had on contemporary life and on different periods and cultures.

Implementation

Our long-term plan provides a rich and inspiring curriculum for all children from EYFS to year 6. Our creative curriculum allows for art to be placed into context along with key events, people and places and allows them to understand the effect artwork and artists have had on historical situations. Basic skills are introduced and then built upon, including drawing, printmaking, collage, painting and making. Skills are revisited and the use of ongoing sketchbook work underpins this process. We believe the role of the teacher is to introduce key skills, materials and ideas to the pupils in such a way that each pupil can then explore his or her own creativity. By creating a safe and nurturing environment, pupils are encouraged to take creative risks and to learn from the journey. The resources and experiences provided are suitable for pupils of all abilities, and enable every child to really delve into their creativity. Our curriculum also takes into account the National Curriculum expectations for art and design. This ensures that all pupils:

produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

Our curriculum toolkits and resources promote a diverse range of creative teaching from EYFS to Key Stage 2, they are designed to be highly progressive and skills based. This ensures that the children are able to revisit and evolve skills consistently through school and therefore become masters of each of the main disciplines. They will also be introduced to a range of key artists, movements and styles and will refer back to these on a regular basis.

Impact

We measure the impact of our art curriculum with various formative methods of assessment including self and peer assessment. Children appraise and suggest constructive developments for their own work and that of their peers. Evidence of children’s work in art can be found in their ongoing sketch books as well as work displayed around school and photos in books. The art coordinator monitors the teaching and evidence of art through the 5-lens approach. As well as assessing the skills, knowledge and understanding that children have developed in the subject, we also consider their level of enjoyment and engagement. This enables us to identify the children for whom art is their gift. We endeavour to provide guidance and further opportunities to explore their talents and interest in this subject with extracurricular activities, visits from practising artists, community events and competitions or shows in our region. We also strive to provide opportunities for all children to witness well-known works of art by taking advantage of the plethora of wonderful art galleries that we have in our local area; including the Laing, Baltic and Shipley.

EYFS Curriculum Maps