Our ambitious curriculum is skills and knowledge rich and has been developed using the curriculum map from Primary Knowledge Curriculum combined with subject leader expertise. This has created the 'Guardian Angels Catholic Curriculum' ensuring the best possible provision to meet the needs of all of our pupils.

The curriculum is designed to enable children to learn by making connections between the work of artists, architects and designers and their own work, which they evaluate and relate back to the works they have studied

Art is a spiritual encounter exposing the learner to a profound level of communication and expression which transcends the spoken word, it offers the artist and the observer the opportunity to transcend the here and now. Through artistic expression the learner is enabled to comment on profound social issues and spiritual experiences offering a window into God’s divine creation. Art, incorporating a wide variety of craft and design embodies some of the highest forms of human creativity.

In Art, by the end of EYFS children will:

Enjoy using a variety of media to make marks. Begin to construct with a purpose in mind, manipulating materials to achieve a planned effect. Talk about what they have made and how they have made it.

By the end of Key Stage 1 children will:

Begin to have more control over the types of marks made with a range of media. Start to mix a range of secondary colours, moving towards predicting resulting colours. Shape and model materials for a purpose. Talk about what they have made and how they could improve it. Control the types of marks made and can explore tone, patterns, shape and space with a range of media. Identify different forms of textiles, textures and materials and experiment with techniques (e.g. arranging, folding, repeating, overlapping, regular and irregular patterning).

By the end of Lower Key Stage 2 children will:

Develop accuracy when completing observational drawings. Independently choose appropriate materials and begin to develop more intricate patterns/ marks with a variety of media. Begin to record media explorations and experimentations as well as try out ideas, plan colours and collect ideas for future works. Use light and dark within painting and show understanding of complementary colours. Improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials (for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay). Begin to independently decide which technique would be best to complete a final piece after exploration and modelling of skills.

By the end of Upper Key Stage 2 children will:

Fluently control types of marks made and experiment with different effects and textures. Begin to plan a sculpture through drawing and other preparatory work, and plan and execute how to join parts of the sculpture. Use a variety of techniques to create different textural and patterned effects. Purposely control the types of marks made and experiment with different effects, textures, line, tone and pattern to create a piece in a chosen style. Confidently improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including printmaking, painting and sculpture, with a range of materials (for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay).

At Guardian Angels, we believe that Art and Design lessons provide children with opportunities to develop imagination and creative thinking, helping our children to perform better in a fast-paced, ever-changing technological world, where creativity and innovation will be needed.

Furthermore, we believe Art and Design lessons contribute to developing the whole child, supporting emotional, cultural, moral, social and spiritual growth, where British Values are embedded.