At St Christopher's, children cover 3 Art units across a year. These include sketching, painting and 3D/sculpture. When relevant, the children will experience some collage and printing as an extra within that unit.  During each unit, the children learn how to use different techniques and materials and many units begin with the study of an artist or period of art. The children continue the process by practicing and experimenting with new techniques and work towards an individual or group final piece of work. The process of investigating is just as important as the final product. Children's Art work is shared around school but also during our annual Art Gallery which is open to families and friends. 

Purpose of study

Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Aims

The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:

 produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences

 become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques

 evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design

 know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

Key stage 1

Pupils should be taught:

 to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products

 to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination

 to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space

 about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.

Key stage 2

Pupils should be taught to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.

Pupils should be taught:

 to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas

 to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials [for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay]

 about great artists, architects and designers in history.