ART AT FAIRLIGHT

Art and Design

Intent Statement

At Fairlight Primary and Nursey School, we value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum.  We recognise that it stimulates creativity and imagination and provides the children with the opportunities to develop and extend skills and an opportunity to express their individual interests, thought and ideas. 

Our intentions for the Art curriculum, as detailed in the national Curriculum, are:

  • For children to produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.
  • To support children in becoming proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.
  • To develop skills that allow children to evaluate and analyse work using appropriate language.
  • To gain knowledge about great artists, craft-makers and designers and the impact of their art forms.

Implementation

At Fairlight Primary and Nursery we will achieve this by:

  • Teaching art regularly. The children will cover an art topic at least once a term.  We ensure they have opportunities to master our key techniques (drawing, painting, collage, printing, sculpture, textiles and digital media) at least once in each phase of the school (e.g. across Year 1 and 2).  They will then revisit these skills as they progress through their time at Fairlight to build on their previous learning.  Teaching, as a result, is predominantly through a skill-based curriculum.
  • Teaching the key skills of drawing and painting in every year group.
  • We link art as closely to our topics as possible to ensure relevance and context.
  • Children are allowed to develop their skills and techniques in a way appropriate to them – through clear adaptation and support. See our ‘Adaptive teaching in the Foundation Subjects at Fairlight’ document.
  • Utilising a sketchbook approach, so that children feel safe to experiment and take risks. See our ‘Welcome to your sketchbook’ inside cover for further details.
  • Introducing the children to artists and art movements directly linked to the skills and topics they are covering.
  • Encouraging children to share and evaluate their art and design work with peers and adults.
  • Celebrating effort, progress and achievement in art through displays around the school as well as additional enrichment activities (e.g. mosaic workshop, Same Sky Children’s Parade, Fabrica workshops, Snail Trail/Shaun the Sheep sculptures for Macmillan).

Impact

By the time children leave Fairlight Primary and Nursery, we want children to have learned, improved and embedded a range of artistic skills.  They should have encountered a broad range of artists and craftspeople and be able to consider and discuss the artworks they have come across.  We want our pupils to be confident enough to explore and experiment – using our learning superheroes to guide them.  We want them to place value on the journey and processes that they take – and not just on the finished outcomes.  Above all, we want children to enjoy art as a means of self-expression and as a creative outlet.

 

OUR CURRICULUM

Here is our whole school art overview...

of
Zoom:

PROGRESSION OF SKILLS

These are our year group 'Progression of Skills' documents...

of
Zoom:

WHAT DO THE CHILDREN SAY ABOUT ART?

We asked the children what they thought of Art at Fairlight Primary School.  Here are just some of the questions we asked...

What is art like in our school?

Lots of fun! (Reception)

It's fun.  Drawing and painting is fun because I love art. (Year 5)

It's fun because we get to make and draw lots of things.  (Year 2)

We are never wrong with our art.  (Year 1)

How do you feel in art lessons?

I like it because I get to draw.  It makes me feel calm and we get to explore different materials and techniques.  (Year 5)

I like the freedom in lessons where you get to be independent.  (Year 6)

Art is one of my favourite subjects.  It's good to show off how you like to do things and to be able to express yourself.  (Year 6)

I really like art.  I have a lot of goals.  I'm autistic so when I have an idea, I don't give up on it. (Year 3)

What have you been learning?

We have learnt about paper weaving.  We also learnt about Pointillism where you create pictures with little dots. (Year 2)

I've been learning to draw my face with a pen.  (Reception)

We painted a Diwa lamp.  I used purple, red, orange, green, blue and yellow paint. (Reception)

We have been learning about colour mixing and how to draw flowers.  We have been learning to use different types of pencils and different coloured pastels and how to mix them to create a piece of work.  (Year 5)

How does your teacher help you with art?

They explain the topic and what we are learning.  They also demonstrate techniques and this really helps.  For example, they show us different ways we can paint.  (Year 4)

They help me do lots of art.  Sheryl loves art and it's her favourite thing.  She helps us. (Reception)

Well I don't need help, but they talk to me about how to do it and what I can do better. (Year 2)

They say 'your art is never wrong'.  You can perceive it how you want.  It doesn't matter. (Year 6)

How do you know how well you have done in your art?

You feel proud of your work.  You want to show it to your teacher and your friends.  (Year 6)

I look back at my art through my sketchbook to see if I have improved.  (Year 5)

I can feel it if I have done well: the satisfaction.  People also come over to give verbal feedback - the teacher or TA. (Year 4)

If we try our best, you will know you have done well.  Every piece of art is good.  Also, I will know if I hav etried my best.  (Year 3)

I go back and look at it and I can also see how well I have done in the past when I look in my sketchbook.  (Year 2)

ART AROUND OUR SCHOOL

We are proud of our Art displays.  If you walk around our school, you will see artwork from every class.  Here is a small selection of work from across the academic year...

Art displays this year...

A selection of Art from last year (2022-2023)...

ART p1 - image 0
ART p1 - image 1
ART p1 - image 2
ART p1 - image 3
ART p1 - image 4
ART p1 - image 5
ART p1 - image 6
ART p1 - image 7
ART p1 - image 8
ART p1 - image 9

Every year we take part in the Children's Parade - part of the annual Brighton Festival.  We always have a theme, build a 'big make' sculpture to carry on the day and dress up.  Here are some of our images from the past few years...

Art p2 - image 0
Art p2 - image 1
Art p2 - image 2
Art p2 - image 3
Art p2 - image 4
Art p2 - image 5
Art p2 - image 6