Art and Design
Art and Design Intent
Alma Park’s Art and Design curriculum begins in EYFS. This foundation in Expressive Art and Design is used to develop our pupils' imagination, creativity, thinking process and their ability to use and manipulate a range of media and materials. Children are given the opportunity to do this in a range of ways including music, songs, dance, experimenting with colours, textures and design. Our intent is to help children to understand and express themselves in a creative, imaginative manner and through exploration. The National Curriculum provides the skill and knowledge progression foundations that are then built on to provide a purposeful progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary. This ensures that the National Curriculum end points are met.
Our pupils are given a breadth of experience to develop their understanding of themselves as individuals within their community and also as members of a wider global community. Our intent is to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for Art and Design by providing a broad and balanced curriculum and ensuring the progressive development of knowledge and skills. Pupils at Alma Park build on their knowledge and skills in different areas of Art and Design, such as drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.
The Art and Design curriculum gives pupils life skills to enable them to embrace and utilise new skills and knowledge to ensure that individuality and creativeness flows through everything they do. The children are given opportunities to combine the different strands of the National Curriculum and ensures progression. By teaching Art and Design in discrete lessons and with purposeful links to other curriculum areas, pupils develop their imagination, creativity, resilience, as well as critical thinking and making skills. Children will observe and record both from first-hand experience and from imagination whilst also developing the children’s competence in controlling materials and tools. Children will begin to develop an awareness of the visual and tactile elements including; colour, pattern and texture, line and tone, shape, form and space, alongside fostering enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts. In addition they will learn how to analyse works using the language of art and design.
As a UNICEF Rights Respecting School Art and Design is delivered in a safe and inspiring environment which nurtures children’s talents, allowing them to thrive so that when they leave Alma Park they are responsible, active citizens. Children will gain an understanding of the importance of the role of Art and Design within the history of human development, of design and innovation, and the creative and cultural industries. Art and Design at Alma Park promotes and encourages sustainability in various ways including: recycling of old materials where possible.
Diversity is embraced by giving opportunities to study a range of important people in Art and Design history which is reflective of our community. At Alma Park Primary School we ensure that Art and Design is fully inclusive to every child. Tools and resources are adapted when necessary to ensure SEND and disadvantaged pupils can access all aspects of the same curriculum.
At Alma Park we are always looking for opportunities to develop our curriculum and this involves seeking enrichment activities for our pupils using local community links, visits to Manchester galleries and where possible inviting working artists into school to talk about and demonstrate their work.