Intent 

Through teaching of Art and Design at Tickhill St Mary’s Primary School we aim to stimulate creativity and imagination. We hope to provide visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a special way of understanding and responding to the world thus enabling children to communicate what they see, feel and think through the use of colour, texture, form, pattern and different materials and processes.  At St Mary’s art lessons are delivered with the intention to inspire creativity and imagination through a range of visual, tactile and sensory activities.  We aim to enable children to record from first-hand experience and from imagination, and to select their own ideas to use in their work.  

Art at our school is designed to improve children’s ability to control materials and tools and to develop a range of artistic techniques as the children progress through school. Our intention is to develop children’s ability to communicate ideas, opinions and feelings about their own work and the work of others.  Our art curriculum has been designed to increase critical awareness of the roles and purposes of art and design in different times and cultures. We strive to fulfil the children’s cultural awareness in a local, national and international context through studying a variety of artists. We hope this will foster an enjoyment and appreciation of art and a knowledge of a range of artists, crafts people and designers and an understanding of the historical development of their art forms.

 Implementation 

At our school we teach art to all children, whatever their ability. Art forms part of the school curriculum which provides a broad and balanced education to all children. Through our art teaching we provide learning opportunities that enable all pupils to make progress. We do this by setting suitable learning challenges and responding to each child’s different needs. Assessment against the National Curriculum allows us to consider each child’s attainment and progress against expected levels. 

At St Mary’s each class teacher plans 3 art units over the course of the year, each focussed on a different strand (e.g. painting, drawing, 3D form, print) so that we ensure breadth of art across the curriculum which, where sensible, links to current learning. We plan backwards from the end-product, ensuring the taught skills are developed upon each week so that the children produce a high quality final piece. 

We develop ideas in the children’s own sketchbooks in KS2 and Year Two whilst Foundation Stage and Year One use art folders. Children practise, annotate, add notes to and evaluate their existing work, the work of artists they are studying and the work of their peers. This is so that the children are able to review their learning journey and develop their critical analysis skills as they progress through a unit. At St Mary’s we  focus on key artists (from a range of genres) within each unit so that we are evaluating quality pieces of work that help the children strive for a similar quality. The children critically evaluate artists’ work and develop their skills through discursive analysis (KS1) as well as written notes in KS2. 

At the end of each learning unit we  publish the children’s work beautifully in class and school displays, displaying exceptional effort in artwork (not always the ‘best’ pieces) alongside connected high-quality written work so that we allow children to develop an immense sense of pride in their work and constantly strive to be the best that they can be. We host an art exhibition bi-annually to showcase the children’s talents and alongside this we run a blind bid auction of collaborative artwork. The funds raised from the auction are used to purchase high quality art resources, this instils a sense of pride, ownership and achievement in our children. This empowers and motivates them. 

The art subject leader is responsible for monitoring the standard of the children’s work through the collection of work for the portfolio, sketchbook moderation, the reading of medium term plans, discussions with teachers and visits to classes. The effectiveness of the teaching of art within the school will be evaluated in the light of the aims and intent outlined at the beginning of this document. The children’s attitudes to their work will be taken into account, as an indicator of progress and fulfilment of our curriculum intent. 

Impact  

All children at St. Mary’s receive a broad and balanced curriculum regardless of year group or ability. Every child accesses all subjects on offer at our school. There is a clear progression of art skills and knowledge, to ensure that all children access at an age-appropriate level. Children learn to work both independently and as part of a group, ensuring skills of resilience and teamwork are promoted in art. Our children are enthused and engaged by the wide variety of art activities. Our children leave St Mary’s and each Key-Stage with the ability to use a range of materials to create exceptional pieces of art. Children are able to use drawing, painting and sculpture to share their ideas, experiences and imagination. Our children use sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas, and collect visual material to help them to develop their ideas. As a result of this children are able to show progression of skills in their sketchbooks and are proud to share their learning. A positive impact of our art implementation approach is that children are able to use artistic vocabulary to describe their work and the processes they have gone through to achieve their outcomes.  

Throughout their artistic learning journey and experiences at St Mary’s children develop techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space using clay and printing to a large scale and in 3D.  

Children improve their mastery of techniques, such as drawing, painting and sculpture with materials (e.g. pencil, charcoal, paint, clay). They have an awareness of the work of a range of artists, craftspeople and designers in history, and are able to describe the differences and similarities between different art forms, making links to their own work.  Opportunities to engage in different art forms within school, sharing their work with the local community and learning about local, national and international artists empowers our children to understand the significance and place of art within the wider world. These opportunities excite and inspire our children’s thirst for knowledge and participation in art. 

Intention 

At St. Mary’s CE Primary and Nursery School, music is considered an essential part of a broad and balanced curriculum. Music is a foundation subject of the National Curriculum and an art form that all children can participate in with enjoyment. We recognise that it can play an important role in children’s development. It can be integrated across the whole curriculum to add value to topics and themes. Musical experiences of various kinds will support and develop self-confidence and bring a sense of achievement. We know that music is a fantastic way to unite the school as well as to celebrate; it can also have positive health benefits by triggering the release of feel good chemicals into our bodies. Music is important to our school community and we believe it is essential to the growth, development and well-being of our children. 

Implementation 

At St. Mary’s, we use Kapow, an online teaching programme, enhanced with teachers’ own expertise and using instruments available in school.  The musical elements are progressively introduced, discussed and understood.  Our children are given opportunities to sing, use instruments, listen to music and to create their own compositions either using the instruments or using their voices. All children are encouraged to respond to music in a variety of ways, through performances, written work and by using arts. Where possible, music is used in a cross-curricular way to promote our creative curriculum.  

Through our music curriculum, we hope to enrich the children’s learning and provide opportunities for participation in musical activities through the development of:  

• Self-esteem, self-confidence and self-discipline  

• Social skills, co-operation and sharing 
• Performance skills 
• Concentration, memory and listening skills 
• Musical vocabulary, appropriate to age  
• Composition skills 

• Physical co-ordination through breathing and posture 
• An understanding of musical traditions and appreciation of own and other’s cultures 
• The use of IT to capture and enhance creativity in composing and performing 
• The enjoyment of taking part in a shared experience 

In addition to our core musical learning, all children are given opportunities to enhance their musical experience through performance. Assemblies, plays and concerts provide an important opportunity to share and enjoy music as a school; we also use music to enhance our worship both in school and in church.  Once a week, the school joins together to enjoy a Praise Worship, where we focus on singing praise songs together.

In Foundation Stage, children will sing and perform to parents during National Nursery Rhyme week and both FS and KS1 perform through their Christmas Nativity concert. Children in KS2 are given the opportunity to join Vocal Group, a team of happy singers who regularly perform to parents and the community during school church services and on special occasions. Vocal Group take part in the massed choir event ‘Young Voices’ at Sheffield Arena each January. In KS2 children also have the opportunity to learn to play keyboard and/or guitar using peripatetic teachers from Doncaster Music Hub. 

Impact 

Whilst in school, children have access to a varied programme, which allows students to explore music and interpret music in their own way. The integral nature of music and the learner creates an enormously rich palette from which a student may access fundamental abilities such as: achievement, self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others, and self-reflection. Music will also develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to students individually, as well as ethnicities from across the world. Children are able to enjoy music, in as many ways as they choose- either as a listener, creator or performer.

All children at St. Mary’s receive a broad and balanced curriculum regardless of year group or ability. There is a clear progression of musical skills and knowledge, to ensure that all children access at an age-appropriate level. Children learn to work both independently and as part of a group, ensuring skills of resilience and teamwork are promoted in this subject.