From the earliest times, artistic expression has been part of what makes us human.  Art ignites the creative impulse; it gets us thinking and feeling. Our individual experiences of art may differ, but its powerful legacy touches us all. In school, drawing and painting become a unique way for children to shape and share their ideas. They get to be hands on and learn to be bold with the freedom to go wherever something takes them.

Content

In the subject of art and design, learning centres on both making art, and engaging with the worth and power of art through the study of artworks and artists. The main visual artforms are all represented in the Strand curriculum; the diverse range of artists that children encounter is an inspiring mix of the greats from history and contemporary contributors from across the globe. 

Content is typically organised into projects structured around a theme. Sometimes, but not always, the project is connected to another subject. For example, in Year 5 the ‘space’ art unit coincides with learning about the solar system in science. Whatever the stimulus, teaching integrates related knowledge, skills and concepts, with an emphasis that is sometimes about outcome but equally concerned with process.      

Three core strands underpin our art and design curriculum: 

Technique:
The knowledge and skill of how to draw, paint, make and design. This includes experience of and practice with the tools, materials and processes used in the creation of different artforms. 

Appreciation:
Knowledge and understanding of the elements of art, its cultural importance and its inspirational artworks and artists. Our aim is for Strand children to acquire the vocabulary, concepts and attitudes to be able to contribute to the great conversation about art.

Creativity:
The exploration, experimentation and thought processes that lead to innovative or original work. As knowledge and skill develop, children gain confidence in the planning, production and evaluation of creative work.

Studying the work of artists is an integral part of art lessons and also occurs in other subjects, particularly the humanities. Whilst some pictures may be enjoyed at first glance, others benefit from deeper exploration to elicit a thoughtful personal response. Art planning references particular artists, architects and design movements to provide a starting point and ensure breadth of coverage. The inclusion of contemporary contributors, and the opportunities for teachers to draw upon their own subject knowledge makes this a dynamic curriculum capable of adapting to current, local or topical content.

During their four years at Strand Juniors, we also aim to take our learners to a gallery and give them the chance to participate in the National Gallery’s ‘Take One Picture’ programme.  

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Organisation

 

 

 

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Progression

Art projects are sequenced so that skills and understanding build across a series of lessons in preparation for children’s own interpretation of a brief. This includes thinking critically about the way artists create effects as well as children’s own exploration of techniques, materials and concepts. Over the course of the unit, learners acquire the knowledge and skills they need to engage with the artistic focus.   

The long arc of progress, where learners gradually develop their control and mastery of technique in drawing and painting, is also planned into our curriculum. Skill sets of small incremental steps are systematically introduced in a progression that runs from Year 3 to Year 6. Once taught, these techniques become part of a learner’s drawing or painting repertoire to be practised and applied in many future contexts. This means that over time children’s proficiency grows.   

Click here to see our progression model

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