Art and Design

At Stonehill School, we intend to build an Art & Design curriculum, which is inspiring, creative and rich. We want our children to observe and record from first-hand experience and from imagination. We aim to develop the children’s competence in controlling materials and tools, enabling them to acquire knowledge and become proficient in various art and design techniques and processes, so they begin to develop an awareness of the visual and tactile elements, including; colour, pattern and texture, line and tone, shape, form and space. We want to foster enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts and develop a knowledge of significant artists, craftspeople and designers. We intend to increase critical awareness of the roles and purposes of art and design in different times and cultures, and teach children to analyse works, using the language of art and design, and to develop a cross-curricular approach to the use of art and design in all subjects.

As stated in the National Curriculum: ‘Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity.’ A high-quality Art and Design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Our aim is to ensure children:

Understand that Art & Design can be used to convey ideas and tell narratives.
Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.
Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
Learn to 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.

At Stonehill School, we aim to teach Art & Design through exciting, practical lessons, which introduce the children to a diverse range of inspiring and creative artistic disciplines. We want our children to feel confident to use creativity and imagination to produce pieces of artwork using a range of media and techniques. We want to inspire children to become the artists of the future.

We intend to do this by:

Ensuring our children have access to a high quality Art & Design curriculum that clearly covers all aspects of the National Curriculum.
Providing rich Art & Design experiences, using a variety of different materials and techniques.
Ensuring that children are confident to explore new ideas, and are not afraid to ask for support, while doing tasks.
Making sure we engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design.
Ensuring that as pupils progress through school, they begin to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Summer Term 1: Art & Design topics

Year 1: 'Street View'	This project teaches children about artwork depicting streets and buildings and focuses on the work of the American pop artist, James Rizzi. They create a 3-D mural based on Rizzi's work.
Year 2: 'Portraits & Poses'	This project teaches children about portraiture. They analyse the portraits of Tudor monarchs and compare Tudor portraits and selfies today. They use photo editing software to create royal portraits.
Year 3: 'Mosaic Masters'	This project teaches children about the history of mosaics, before focusing on the colours, patterns and themes found in Roman mosaic. The children learn techniques to help them design and make a mosaic border tile.
Year 4 'Statues, statuettes & Figurines '	This project teaches children about the 3-D representation of the human form, including statues, statuettes and figurines. They study examples from ancient civilisations, and use their clay skills to create a Sumer-style figurine.
Year 5: 'Mixed Media'	This project teaches children about paper crafts, papermaking and collage techniques, including paper, fabric, mixed media and photo collage. They use their learning to create a final piece of small-scale, mixed media collage.
Year 6: 'Distortion & Abstraction'	This project teaches children about the concepts of abstraction and distortion. They study the visual characteristics of abstraction and create a musically-inspired, abstract painting.

Spring Term 1: Art & Design Topics

Year 1: 'Rain and Sunrays'	This project teaches children about collagraph printing, including how to develop a motif to make single and repeated prints.
Year 2 'Flower Head'	This project teaches children about the visual elements of flowers, including shape, texture, colour, pattern and form. They also explore various artistic methods, including drawing, printmaking and 3-D forms, using paper and clay.
Year 3 'Ammonite'	This project teaches children about artistic techniques used in sketching, printmaking and sculpture.
Year 4 'Vista'	This project teaches children about the techniques that artists use when composing landscape images, such as colour and atmosphere.
Year 5: 'Line, Light and Shadows'	This project teaches children about the visual qualities of line, light and shadow. They explore the work of Pablo Picasso and Rembrandt and are introduced to a range of shading techniques. They take black and white photographs and use pencil, pen and ink wash to reimagine their photographs in a shaded drawing.
Year 6 'Inuit'	This project teaches children about the Inuit way of life, including some of their cultural and artistic traditions.