“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint’, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced”
– Vincent Van Gogh
Intent
Art and Design is an entitlement for our pupils and accessible to all.
We believe that art education is about mastering and developing explicit skills in fine art, ensuring that all pupils have the chance to succeed, regardless of their starting points. Visual arts focus on drawing, painting, sculpture and printing to equip our pupils with the knowledge and skills to experiment, create and invent their own works of art, craft and design. By developing a unique visual vocabulary, we believe our pupils can cross language barriers, enabling them to feel a sense of self-satisfaction, in communicating their own individual responses.
Art is an important form of cultural expression and therefore, we believe it has meaning for all of our children. Every culture, every period in the history of humanity has produced artistic responses to social situations and cultural events – Art and Design is an essential way for us to respond to the world. Art is not only a practical subject, but academic, as it engages with history; politics and society; cultural, social, economic and spiritual aspects of the past, present and future.
We explicitly teach children to use the language of Art and Design so that they can confidently discuss the images and artefacts they encounter. This enables our children to acquire the theoretical understanding they need to become critical audiences and informed consumers of Art and Design. Creativity is not confined to the arts: creativity and imaginative activity inform teaching and learning across our school. Art and Design not only impacts our curriculum, but has strong links with parents, other schools, local communities and authorities. By gaining a deep understanding of media and resources, we aim to inspire and challenge our pupils. We recognise that the creative economy is a powerful emerging economic sector: an arena that we want to enable our pupils to access. Our teaching invites children to become innovators and trend-setters, to be resourceful and pioneering citizens.