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Art and Design

Our creative, engaging and ambitious art curriculum has been specifically written and designed to meet the needs of our children and our community while taking into account the requirements of the National Curriculum and the Early Years Framework.

Why do we teach art and design?

At Dewhurst St Mary we encourage children to express their creativity through art, craft and design. Our high-quality teaching engages, inspires and challenges the children to develop their creative skills. Through the teaching of art and design, the children will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to experiment, invent and create their own works of art. As the children grow as artists, they will be able to think critically and develop a deeper understanding of art and design. We will also teach the children how art and design has shaped our history, culture and wealth of our nation.

We aim to ensure that all of our pupils:

  • produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences,
  • become skilful 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 children explore and develop their skills and creativity using a wide range of media. We value the use of sketch books and encourage the importance of experimentation, exploration and pushing ideas in imaginative ways. We believe our broader creative curriculum helps to develop resilient learners ensuring children are practicing their art skills in as meaningful a way as possible. The children’s skills and knowledge are built over time as they revisit concepts and aspects of art. For example the use of colour or texture, shape or line.
We believe that 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. We encourage children to learn from and be inspired by the work of great artists from different cultures and understand the contribution art has made to society, both past and present. As pupils progress, we support them to be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design.

‘Every human is an artist,’ Don Miguel Ruiz