Whitemoor Academy

Art and Design

At Whitemoor, art allows children to be creative and use their imagination, providing them with the opportunity to develop intellectually, emotionally, physically and socially.

Our intent in art and design technology is:

We provide opportunities for children to express themselves through a range of artistic styles.

We encourage our children to take a pride in their own achievements and to respect their own and others’ work. By looking at the work of other artists, children will be helped to understand that there is no “correct model” and that art is a response to the world around us.

To use the work of children to provide a colourful and stimulating environment throughout the school.

To encourage pupils’ development of creative, imaginative and practical skills through a balanced programme of art, craft and design activities, working individually, in groups and as a whole class.

To extend pupil understanding of how ideas and feelings can be communicated in visual, and sometimes tactile experiences

We use a method of critique across all classes to improve pupils' work. Critique has three clear rules: be kind, be specific and be helpful. Through this method, children can support each other in developing their art and design work.

EYFS

Expressive art and design is a specific area of the Early Years programme. There are two Early Learning goals within this specific area: Exploring using media and materials and Being Imaginative.

At Whitemoor, we help children in the Early Years to be creative by encouraging their natural curiosity and questioning. Children are supported to notice everything and closely observe the most ordinary things. We build on children’s interests and support them to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas through art and design. We encourage children to explore and use materials and resources in an open-ended way so that they can make choices and have confidence in their own ideas. Careful interactions with experienced adults who express an interest in the process a child has gone through and asks open questions such as ‘Can you tell me about it – that looks interesting’ helps children flourish and develop their amazing imaginations and creativity.

To see how Art and Design Technology is being taught throughout the rest of school, take a look at our rolling programme and our class pages/curriculum maps.