Art

At Whyteleafe, we are committed to providing all children, from Early Years to Year 6, with opportunities to engage, express themselves and succeed in art.  We aim to enable children to achieve high standards through a creative and enriching curriculum that provides a means of expression for all children. Our art curriculum allows children to explore, build on and record their own creative imaginative ideas.  Art also supports the development of motor-skills, language skills, social skills, risk taking and inventiveness whilst helping to develop creative problem-solving skills.

Through our skills-based curriculum, children are developing their confidence and imagination.  They are taught the skills to use visual language to explore line, shape, pattern, colour and texture.  We provide our children with opportunities to improve their oracy skills within the art curriculum through our exhibitions which require children to orally present an explanation of their artwork and the skills involved.  Children also have the opportunity to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas. We also use artwork to develop inference skills within reading. Art provides challenge for all learners at all levels through extension and self-selection of skills and techniques for a specific purpose.  Through art, children are able to gain a different perspective and see things through other people’s eyes, allowing children to connect with their own culture and with the wider world.

Prior learning is built upon year on year and children are encouraged to share knowledge and skills they already have when revisiting topics.  Each year group studies a number of artists. These artists are suited to the specific skills that are taught in that year group and, where possible, link to topics in other subjects.  Children in Year 5 and 6 have opportunities to self-select artists that they are inspired by and would like to learn more about. These artist studies provide opportunities for discussion and appreciation of art.

A child’s picture is his or her own. It has worth in its own right, without having to be measured or judged by others as right or wrong. The child has the authority to say what the picture is of, or what it communicates, building up their confidence and self-esteem.

As a school, we recognise that displaying the children’s creations is an important part of the artistic process.  Therefore, we have a dedicated space for children in all year groups to showcase their work. Children are proud of their work and look forward to seeing what is on display.

Our art leaders (selected children from years 3-6) have a real passion for this subject and support teachers with resourcing lessons and help select art for the Art Gallery and exhibitions.  

At Whyteleafe, we are fortunate to have a space within the school dedicated to art and DT.  The Art Studio is available for small groups of children to take part in additional art activities to develop their art techniques further.  Parent volunteers share their artistic talents with the children to create large, eye-catching pieces of art that decorate the communal areas of the school building.

By the end of Year 6, we aim for all children to have mastered techniques in all areas of the curriculum and have a deep understanding of a range of artists throughout history.