Intent

At Ewell Grove art is a powerful tool to inspire, engage, and challenge pupils. Creativity and imagination play vital roles in fostering self-awareness and cultivating an appreciation for the world around them. We support children in expressing themselves through art, craft, and design, encouraging them to share their ideas, experiences, and imaginations. Our art curriculum is further enriched by the ‘Kapow’ program, which provides high-quality, creative resources.

Children will learn to compare and contrast the works of inspirational artists from ancient to contemporary times, developing a rich vocabulary for appreciation and description. They will apply techniques from different artworks to interpret existing pieces and to envision their own creative ideas. The significance of art and design in shaping our history and culture will be an essential part of their learning journey. Every child's work will be valued and respected, showcased through displays throughout the school. Emphasising choice, we encourage children to decide how best to represent their ideas, experiences, and imaginations. Children will engage in critiquing their own work and that of their peers, fostering a reflective and collaborative artistic community.

Implementation

Art is taught daily through focused lessons and independent learning opportunities, reflecting our inclusive and adaptive approach. Children will gain hands-on experience with a variety of media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and various craft techniques. They will explore and experiment with elements such as colour, form, line, pattern, shape, texture, and tone.

Questioning techniques are used to stimulate idea development and assess understanding of new vocabulary which is taught progressively across the school. During independent learning opportunities, children are provided with visual aids that outline the sequence of steps for each task along with a diverse range of resources for exploration and experimentation. Children develop sketchbooks/art folders as a tool for generating ideas. Sketchbooks/art folders also enable the children to explore, practice and refine their techniques, often building their ideas towards a final piece.

Impact

Our art curriculum supports children to articulate their thoughts and expand their vocabulary. They learn to describe their artistic choices and the elements they observe in various works, enhancing their ability to express ideas effectively. Children will develop characteristics of effective learning as they will learn how to use their senses to explore the world around them, engage in open-ended activities and represent experiences through art. They will also develop confidence and resilience to take risks, show persistence and problem solve. Art at Ewell Grove is cross-curricular and will often be linked to high-quality texts which are shared through a range of subjects. Children will feel a sense of pride and achievement through the celebration of their art throughout their time at Ewell Grove.