National Curriculum Aims for Art:

The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:

• Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences

• Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques

• Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design

• Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms

Art Intent
At Marner School, we believe that art lessons will help to engage, inspire and challenge children to think and develop their technical skills and understanding. Our aim is to allow children to express themselves and to build up their confidence and critical-thinking skills. We equip children with the knowledge and skills needed to experiment, invent and create their own artwork. They will learn that art and design reflects our history and contributes to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

How is the Art curriculum implemented?
The children at Marner love art and every year are able to progressively learn new skills and apply their knowledge when planning, designing and creating – bringing all they are learning to life! We have planned the key skills across the year groups to allow progression and coverage. Each term there is a focus on one or two skills to be taught. These have been chosen to ensure there is coverage and progression as the children journey through the school but also to allow cross-curricular links. Teachers will plan a progression of lessons whereby they will study a chosen artist, be taught a new skill to practise and be given time to make their own artwork. Children will reflect on their own work as well as others. Sketch books will be used throughout the year, so children can record their ideas and thinking.

At Marner all our staff are skilled in the use of sketchbooks. You will see sketchbooks being used alongside a range of subjects from English to History, Art and Design.  

We use sketchbooks to support the mental health and wellbeing of our children too.  We know that the arts are an essential vehicle for self-expression. Just recently, our Y5 pupils explored the topic of art and mental health by finding out all about Yayoi Kusama.