Art and Design
Our Visions and Aims for Art and Design
Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. Albert Einstein once stated, ‘imagination is more important than knowledge’ and art is a fundamental skill that can fire imagination and encourage children to communicate, experiment and show resilience to achieve their goals.
At Olive Hill, we believe that art should be central to a well-rounded education. We aim to engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design.
This follows the National Curriculum for art (2014) 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.
Our art and design curriculum provides a range of integrated experiences, carefully planned to fit in with topics, which give a dynamic focus for the pupils’ learning. We integrate art and design into the teaching of other subjects and find that this not only enhances pupils’ enjoyment but leads to better outcomes for all. Through specific topics, we use class productions to showcase learning and bring art to life as well as creating whole school displays to inspire and show progression through the years.
Outside school hours, there are several clubs running for all year groups – from arts and crafts club to drawing skills. There is something for everyone! We listen to our students and adapt and change our provision according to what they want.
Where appropriate, we give children the opportunities to visit museums and galleries, developing their skills of observation and evaluation. We also celebrate and recognise the work children bring into school from home.
At Olive Hill, we are proud to have seen how our integration of art and design supports children to feel happy, secure and grow in self-confidence which in turn, encourages them to be independent learners in all areas of the curriculum.
