Art

Art at Harriers Banbury Academy

Intent, Implementation and Impact

Intent:

At Harriers Banbury Academy, our curriculum has been designed so that pupils have access to a broad range of experiences and culturally diverse opportunities, broadening their creativity and inspiring pupils to reach their goals and aspirations. We are committed to providing pupils with a rich and varied exposure to the Arts within school hours, and in after school clubs, with reserved places for Pupil Premium pupils in these. At Harriers Banbury Academy, we want our Art curriculum to both develop key Artistic skills and to ensure year-on-year progression. We understand that our Art curriculum should give pupils the tools they need to develop skills in a range of Art media, combined with ensuring authentic experiences through the work of a wide range of Artists and craftspeople. This is a fantastic way for the pupils to explore ideas, and to gain the ability to express themselves. We currently provide opportunities for pupils to develop socially, emotionally and culturally in their learning and believe these contribute positively to pupils’s mental health. The Arts give an opportunity for all pupils to shine and develop in every way.

Implementation

At Harriers Banbury Academy, we have an Arts curriculum that has a clear progression of knowledge and skills. Every year, pupils are introduced to a new Art focus so that they experience many different forms of Arts and mediums throughout their time at school. However, to ensure retention and to practise key skills, we revisit concepts multiple times throughout a pupil’s time at Harriers Banbury Academy, in order to enhance progress. Art is implemented into the curriculum over 3-4 terms a year.

Each Art unit has a clear outcome which is often linked with wider skills or curriculum areas.

Year 1 are first introduced to drawing – creating lines and marks to represent shape and texture, using a range of mediums. Drawing skills are revisited each year from that point, building on the skills of the previous and experimenting with increasing ranges of materials to build depth, shadow and interest. Alongside building on key skills, new concepts are introduced like sculpture, weaving, painting and photography.

In Year 4, we make links between Art and History, looking at Arts of the past and recreating prehistoric and Ancient Egyptian Artwork. We also study Artists, both local and famous, who are masters in the mediums we are exploring.

A focus for Harriers Banbury Academy is to ensure that the pupils have real life experiences surrounding the Arts and it is our goal to deliver a trip or experience annually for every year group. At school we hold an Arts week, where we invite parents and the local community to visit the school, where we showcase our work created both year groups and collectively across the whole school. We also have visiting Artists and the intention is to visit more local galleries and exhibitions, and learn more about career opportunities within Arts.

A school gallery is set up in the centre of the school building where pupils can celebrate their Art successes with parents and carers.

Art clubs are held in both KS1 and KS2, focussing on a range of Artistic skills including drawing, collage or sewing.

Impact

At Harriers Banbury Academy, we aim to have a positive impact on our student’s Artistic development, well-being and broader educational outcomes. Our main aim is for pupils to enjoy all aspects of the Art curriculum.

The success of the curriculum is regularly monitored through gathering the pupil’s views and staff voice as well as through evidence of pupils’ learning.

The impact of our Arts curriculum extends beyond the subject itself. It provides our pupils with transferable skills; such as creativity, self-expression and problem-solving skills, as well as positively impacting their academic achievement and their mental health.

The way the curriculum is designed, is that pupils’ confidence will grow with the revisiting of skills and provide them with feelings of progression and achievement. Focus is on the journey and not on the end result.