Art Curriculum at Northfields Infant and Nursery School

We aim to –

• Provide children with a knowledge and appreciation of key pieces of famous art and artists, which provide a stimulus to inspire their own ideas, experiences and imagination
• Children develop their own their own ideas by having access to various art materials in the classroom during child initiated play/learning.
• Children are taught to make observations, really look at take notice. This begins in Nursery when children do ArtStart as an adult led activity.
• Offer opportunities to explore a range of techniques and media.
• Develop a respect for all art including that of their peers.
• Encourage children to enjoy art and understand it is an important part of caring for our own wellbeing (keep learning, take notice, connect, give 4 of our 5 ways to wellbeing).

ELG – Use simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately. Explore what happens when colours are mixed. Experiment to create different textures. Understand that different media can be combined to create new effects. Manipulate materials to achieve a planned effect. Choose particular colours for a purpose. Create simple representations of events, people and objects.

How we do this in Nursery and Reception?

Children do a variety of art activities with adults and then resources can be left in order for pupils to revisit and develop the skills have learned. As topics follow children’s interests they are planned half termly; teachers look for art that is representative of different styles and will help develop paint brush control, cutting, pencil control and imaginative use of colour and texture through providing various media.

KS1 –

Painting and colour – colour mixing, exploring painting on different scales, using oil pastels and blending, tints and tones using paint and shading with pencils or charcoal.

Collage – using cut or torn materials, overlapping and overlaying to create pictures, mixing materials to create textures.

Sculpture – using clay and then developing and refining the techniques used.

Drawing – using pencil, charcoal and pastels children will explore using lines, pattern and adding dots and lines to create different styles of picture. They will add colour to drawings understanding the importance of neatly following lines in some styles. Observational drawing indoors and outside. Using drawing as a tool to record experiences, observations and feelings.

Some children may do Drawing and Talking therapy to support emotional wellbeing.

Digital media – to use a range of programs to create art for a purpose.