Croftlands Junior School
Art
Intent Statement:
During their education at Croftlands Junior School, we want our children to love the creative experiences we provide for them in Art, Craft and Design. Every child will have the opportunity to succeed in and enjoy Art through a bespoke scheme which is based on the National Curriculum and tailored to the specific needs of our pupils. Lessons build on previous skills and provide time for reflection and improvement. Art is linked to other subject areas and ties in with termly topics in English, Geography, History and Science. Work reflects different times and cultures and spans a variety of disciplines. When pupils leave us at the end of Year 6, we want them to be able to express their creativity through a variety of art forms, including sculpture, collage, photography, textiles, drawing and print-making. Ultimately, pupils should be confident experimenting with different media and resilient in developing their own unique style. Most importantly, we want them to foster a positive life long connection with Art and have fun.
The impact of the Art and Design curriculum at Croftlands Junior School:
- Our children create high-quality pieces of art which explore and record their ideas and experiences and meet the learning objectives.
- Our children are proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.
- Progression of skills can be seen in the children's sketchbooks.
- Our children self-reflect and assess their own work and provide feedback through peer assessment.
- Our children evaluate and analyse creative works using subject-specific language.
- They know about great artists and the historical and cultural development of their art and can articulate their growing understanding of theories and practical aspects.
- Our children apply their skills in other areas of the curriculum, showing that the knowledge and understanding of these are embedded. This includes opportunities where pupils are given freedom and can showcase their talent.
- Our children meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Art and Design.
Art Curriculum Overview 2024 - 2025
We were extremely lucky to have a resident print artist (Esther Benson) in school to work with a group of talented Year 5 & Year 6 children to create images for Ulverston's annual Printfest at the Coronation Hall. Our work will be displayed alongside other schools and leading printers from around the country. Visit the exhibition on Saturday 3rd May 10~5pm and Sunday 4th May 10~4pm.
We have been using light sensitive paper in our Art lessons to create cyanotype images. Cyanotype is a camera-less photographic process that produces a blue image on paper or fabric, achieved by exposing a light-sensitive emulsion to UV light and then washing it with water. We had great fun watching the images develop in the water and will be moving onto using the iPads to practise photography skills.
Family Learning Session with Karen Akers, family learning tutor with Westmorland & Furness Council. Parents and children collaborated on this wonderful project to build resilience and self-esteem through Art. They took inspiration from "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds. In this inspiring, award-winning story of self-expression and creativity, Vashti thinks she can’t draw but her teacher is sure that she can. She knows that there is creative spirit in everyone and encourages Vashti to sign the angry dot she makes in frustration on a piece of paper. This act makes Vashti look at herself a little differently and helps her discover that where there’s a dot there’s a way... The story encourages even the stubbornly uncreative among us to make a mark – and follow where it takes us.
Using the "Beowulf" story as inspiration, the children practised sketching techniques to draw the human figure and eyes to collect visual information in a sketch book. They used this imagery to design a clay dragon eye and these are the wonderful results.
We have used our knowledge & understanding of the work of Leonardo da Vinci and Jean-Michel Basquiat to inspire our graffiti style skeleton paintings. We used the following skills to create our masterpieces: • Used a sketchbook to develop ideas and create initial sketches for our paintings • Drew from observation and imagination • Experimented with mark making and used pattern to create texture • Altered paint colour using white, grey & black • Experimented with different brushstrokes to make specific effects
Christmas watercolour robins in Year 6
Christmas watercolour robins in Years 3 & 4
Year 5 & 6 Watercolour Townscapes
Year 5 & 6 Sketching for the Beowulf project
Sketching in Years 3 & 4
Family Learning Art session in partnership with Westmorland & Furness Council
