"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see" - Edgar Degas
Our Vision for Art
At St Matthews we understand that Art is an important part of the human experience, allowing us to develop self-expression through a range of different contexts, mediums, and processes. Pupils participate in three Art units of work each year, enabling them to build upon key skills and knowledge throughout their school career.
Concepts are taught through an exciting thematic and cross curricular approach to learning. Within the teaching of art, the children will be given the opportunity to experience a wide range of mediums including charcoal, acrylic, gouache, watercolours, 3D modelling and pastels. The children are taught how to colour mix and create many different effects using an array of brushes and tools. Alongside creating pieces of art work, the pupils also develop analytical skills, learning how to critically explore and analyse art work and art forms.
Over the course of their time at St Matthew's pupils develop an understanding and appreciation of many famous artists and art movements. The pupils are given Art projects with end goals such as creating an art gallery or brightening up an outside area within the school.
Through our Art Curriculum we:
- Inspire children to reflect both creatively and critically about the world around them.
- Children should be encouraged to reflect on their own context at the community level but also through a range of multicultural and historical contexts.
- Our Art Curriculum enables children to develop a range of technical skills but also self-reflective and evaluative skills through the exploration of Artists, craft makers, designers, and Architects.
- We wish to instil a sense of wonder about the world through inspiring and stimulating topics.
- At St Matthews we aspire for our pupils to become competent, highly skilled artists. To achieve this, we aim to develop children’s capacity to create and shape their ideas alongside advancing their technical skill in drawing, working with colour, printing, sculpture, textile, and collage.
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| Curriculum Intent, Implementation and Impact document | Art Topic overview | Progression of knowledge and skills |
Autumn Term 2 Art Week
For a whole week in the second half of the Autumn Term, our whole school enjoyed a week of art. We coincided this with interfaith week and looked at the Christian Artist James He Qi. We focussed on the skill of painting, all exploring different types of paint including goulash, acrylic, silk and oil paints. We took time to evaluate He Qi’s work before having a go at our own interpretations with an interfaith theme. Some of the themes we used to base our artwork on included diversity of friends and family, religious symbols, diversity in our community, food of different faiths, religious council, diversity through sport and diversity in the UK.
Take a look at some of our beautiful collaborative canvasses all inspired by James He Qi’s work.
