How do we assess Art and Design?
How do we assess the impact of our Art curriculum?
The structure of the art curriculum ensures that children are able to develop their knowledge and understanding of the work of artists, craftspeople and designers from a range of times and cultures and apply this knowledge to their own work. The consistent use of children’s sketchbooks means that children are able to review, modify and develop their initial ideas in order to achieve high quality outcomes. Children learn to understand and apply the key principles of art: line, tone, texture, shape, form, space, pattern, colour, contrast, composition, proportion and perspective. The opportunity for children to refine and develop their techniques over time is supported by effective lesson sequencing and progression between year groups. This also supports children in achieving age related expectations at the end of their cohort year.
Classroom displays reflect the children’s sense of pride in their artwork and this is also demonstrated by creative outcomes across the wider curriculum with clear links to cross-curricular teaching using art to support the learning of all abilities.
The school environment also celebrates children’s achievements in art and demonstrates the subject’s high status in the school, with outcomes, including an Art Gallery of high quality artwork taken from art lessons but also from art in other subjects. The Art curriculum at St. Margaret’s contributes to children’s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection.
Through following a clear and comprehensive scheme of work in line with the National Curriculum, it expected that teaching and learning will show progression across all key stages within the strands of Art. Subsequently, more children will achieve age related expectations in Art at the end of their cohort year and Key Stage. It is our aim that children will retain knowledge and skills taught within each unit of work, remember these and understand how to use and apply these in their own art work, whilst beginning to understand what being in ‘artist’ means.
We are able to measure the impact that Art has had for all children by:
• Determining the extent to which objectives are met within each lesson and overall, at the end of each unit.
• Summative assessment of pupil discussions about their learning.
• Images of the children’s practical learning.
• Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).
By the time children leave St Margaret’s CE Junior School, we want them to have developed a passion for art and creativity, working both independently and collaboratively. They will have grown in confidence when using a range of tools and techniques, becoming artists that can apply the skills and knowledge that they have developed throughout the years and respond critically to their own and other’s work.
Art at St. Margaret’s is a vital part of the curriculum. Lessons are integrated into termly topics to inspire and excite the children. It is obvious to see how much the children enjoy the subject as the results speak for themselves! Our learning environment is full of life and colour, from murals to the children’s work, celebrating art in all its forms.
The children at St. Margaret's are provided with a chance to express themselves in a variety of different media from clay to collage, painting to pencil. Their skills are developed as they progress through the school as they are given the opportunity to explore their expressive side as we integrate Art into many areas as part of a cross-curricular curriculum.
