The Art Curriculum

Watch our Art Curriculum video by clicking on the image.

“The principles of true art is not to portray, but to evoke.” – Jerzy Kosinski

Art provides educational benefits that other subjects cannot; it creates creative and visual thinkers. Anyone who creates art has the right to call themselves an artist. 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. Pupils should be able to think critically, know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
Art develops imagination and creativity by taking children’s experiences and transforming them. Every artist has autonomy over their work; their work is their own and has its own immeasurable worth, this fact provides our children with confidence and belief in what they have they have created. Art is a tool often used to support mental health and wellbeing in allowing children to express their feelings, concerns or ideas.

At Kentmere Academy the Art Curriculum develops children’s knowledge of art skills, such as making, generating ideas and being able to evaluate their own and others’ work. They gain knowledge of artists and develop formal elements such as texture, tone, line, pattern, shape and colour.

As a school, we value and are dedicated to the teaching of Art and Design.  We see this as a fundamental part of school life.  We are committed to providing an ‘Arts Rich Curriculum’ for our children.  We believe that by developing this we can contribute to the quality of our children’s lives both within and beyond school.  We see art and design as a means to support learning in a range of ways.  The skills that are developed in these subjects can be transferred across the curriculum and thus aid learning. 

Through the teaching of art and design, we focus on:
•  Observing detail
•  Sensitive, analytical and critical responses
•  Increasing confidence
•  Striving for high standards
•  Raising self-esteem
•  Imagination and creative expression
•  Investigative techniques
•    The opportunity to compare, contrast and appreciate different cultures

In Art, children are expected to be reflective and evaluate their work, thinking about how they can make changes and keep improving. This should be meaningful and continuous throughout the process, with evidence of age-related verbal and written reflection. Children are encouraged to take risks and experiment and then reflect on why some ideas and techniques are successful or not for a particular project.