Art at Woodrow

"I found I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn't say any other way -

things I had no words for." Georgia O'Keeffe

Intent

We intend for our children to explore an aspirational art curriculum through the development of progressive skills, techniques and observation. They will develop a love of art and the freedom of artistic expression. Our children have access to an exploratory, artistic experience. Skills are carefully scaffolded to ensure art is accessible to all. We intend for our children to widen their experience of cultures and communities beyond the immediate through the medium of art. 

Implementation

At Woodrow First School, we use Access Art units within each year group which contribute to a progressive, whole school approach to Art. This follows the requirements of the National Curriculum Programme of Study for Art. In the Early Years, children are exposed to a variety of experiences which provide the foundation of skills needed to progress into the KS1 and KS2 pathways and beyond, as guided by the EYFS prgrammes of study and Development Matters. Teachers adapt the subject matter to complement the other teaching in the classroom. We use Access Art to guide us with specific units which develop skills. These then scaffold the development of techniques year upon year. The children will access and revisit a wide range of resources allowing them to showcase progression in their outcomes.  All children will create a catalogue of experiences which will include a variety of artistic expressions, such as poetry, dance, drama, permanent and non-permanent art. Units of Access Art may create meaningful links with other subject areas such as DT, Music, Science and Literacy. Throughout their artistic journey through school, the children will accumulate knowledge of a multitude of artists through history and cultures. 

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities 

We enable children of all abilities to access our Art curriculum. Additional models and scaffolds are provided and changes to pedagogy or content are considered in consultation with the SENCO. Access Art and Woodrow First School believe that,

"creativity is in us all and each and everyone of us has the right to express ourselves through creative process, no matter what the barriers to that might be. ‘Talent’ can potentially be there, ready to be discovered, but the right opportunities have to be presented for it to be released and enabled." 

Access Art SEND Offer

Teachers provide differentiated guidance and resources to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required. The Access are EYFS and SEND programme is also used to guide teachers in their planning and delivery of art lessons and opportunities. 

Impact

At Woodrow, we strive to provide a high-quality Art Curriculum which allows for progression for all children.  

We consider the children to be making good or better progress if they are able to meet the demands of the curriculum. We use a Venn diagram for each area of study, balancing skills, knowledge and reflection to support our judgements, clearly identifying specific areas of need for each individual child. In the Early Years children are assessed within Expressive Arts and Design and this is also recorded on a Venn diagram.  Adults continually reflect before, through and after taught sessions against the processes and outcomes expected, as well as interact with the children throughout allowing them to assess their thought processes, knowledge and understanding. Feedback can be provided in relevant ways, which may include (but not be limited to) verbal comments, questions, written responses and in-context responses within the Mantle (e.g. in role) and leads to action from the children where necessary. All children, regardless of ability and needs, are included within our Art Curriculum, and carefully planned, skilled support and adaptation is used to ensure every child is able to experience the artistic processes and opportunities we provide. 

Work may be used within the context of our Mantles, providing relevance and meaning to what has been done. It may be displayed within the school, on our website or on our school social media where it can be shared and celebrated with a wider audience. 

Children talk about their experiences of Art in school demonstrating their learning, their understanding, enthusiasm and knowledge of skills, processes, contexts and interests. They are encouraged to reflect on their work and self-evaluate, thinking about how they can continue to develop their skills, knowledge and confidence. We aim to for our children to feel comfortable to take risks, experiment and be reflective. All children are given the opportunity to be involved equally and according to their individual needs.  

At Woodrow, our children are exposed to a wide range of artistic experiences reflective of the diverse nature of the world. This includes involvement with art and artists from many different cultures, backgrounds, times and styles.  

Through art our children engage in a rich creative journey where each pupil has ownership over their own creative potential. Each child will leave Woodrow having developed a range of skills and knowledge. Our children embrace their own creative voices and will become confident to express and share their thoughts, ideas and creations.  

Access Art

Access Art is a charity which supports visual arts teaching and learning. They were established in 1999, and advocate the importance of high quality visual arts education for all. Click here to find out what makes Access Art special.