Art

Art Curriculum Statement

At Cranford Park Academy we believe that Art is an integral part of the curriculum. Our art and design education engages, inspires and challenges pupils, and equips them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. Art at Cranford Park is accessible to all and we use this to inspire and support the teaching of other areas of the curriculum. We have recently started to make improvements to our art provision through making links to other curriculum areas, ensuring skills are being built upon and that the children are able to recognise the work of a range of artists.

Through our Park Federation Skills Ladders children learn to develop their competency in art skills such as sketching, painting, printing and sculpture. Our children also have the opportunity to develop their understanding of the history of art and how this can be used to inform us of historical moments in time.
In the Key Stage 1 curriculum the children begin to develop their understanding of what art is and how it helps to shape our nation. The children start to use a wide range of skills and media, creating objects and images from their own imagination and through first hand observations. Our children have the opportunity to experiment with colour, developing their knowledge of primary and secondary colours, tones and shades through the work of a variety of artists such as Paul Klee. We encourage the children to start reflecting on their own work and the work of their peers.

In Key Stage 2, the children start to develop their knowledge of the history of art through looking at a range of great artists and gaining an understanding of the different artistic styles, such as pointillism , pop art, sketching, expressionism, surrealism and abstract art. The children use this new found knowledge to inspire their own work and create images through close observations and using newly taught artistic styles. They have the opportunity to enhance their own art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials (pencil, charcoal, paint and clay). We continue to encourage the children to reflect upon their own work and make links to the work of great artists.

We asked the children how Art makes them feel...