Art stimulates imagination and creativity. Art enables us to communicate what we see, think and feel in ways that words alone simply are not capable of. Art provides us with both a universal language of colour, texture, form and pattern, and with limitless opportunities to combine these in new ways. It also provides a huge range of opportunities to develop our learning powers, particularly curiosity, empathy and independence. To find out more about what we teach and how learnng fits together, take a look at our skills and knowledge progression:  

• Skills and Knowledge Progression : Art
   

The aim of our Art and Design curriculum

We believe that it is vital for all children to experience and engage with a range of visual, tactile and sensory experiences - and, as we also know that many of our children do not have access to this outside of school, it is essential that we provide them with a rich diet of art throughout their Bedwell journey. This, in turn, equips our children with both key artistic skills and an enjoyment of the subject that will help them to become expressive, open, curious and independent adults. 

Our Art and Design curriculum identifies six core strands, which are each returned to, revised and built upon each year. Central to these is the ability to explore and develop ideas - including questioning and observation of the world around us, the use of discussion and analysis to foster creativity and the study of the role of artists, architects and designers. Alongside this, we have also identified two artists to study in each year group. The work of these great painters, sculptors and designers is used to stimulate discussion and an appreciation of their work, as well as inspiring artwork of our own. Their lives and work also provide a platform on which to develop the use of the language and vocabulary of art.

Experiences we want every child to have at Bedwell:

• Work collaboratively with an artist 
• Meet significant artists, discuss their work with them, give honest feedback on their work and be able to comment on their style 
• See an artist in action and talk to them about their work, process and inspirations 
• Visit galleries, both locally and nationally, and have opportunities to learn more about the historical and cultural significance of the artwork they encounter 
• Work collaboratively on a large scale piece 
• Show their work in a school or local gallery, and receive feedback from their audience 
• Experience the process of ‘being’ an artist, working on canvas, using an easel, organising, using and caring for their tools and seeking out new inspiration.

This term's learning

Year 5 and 6 - We visited the National Gallery in London earlier this year. It was amazing to get within touching distance of priceless paintings by artists including Van Gogh, Monet and Turner, and we were fascinated by the different styles and subjects on display.   

Year 1 and 2  - We have been learning all about animals and their habitats. We have investigated the differences between animals with fur, scales and feathers, and linked this to the creatures we saw on our trip to Whipsnade. We have also investigated places where animals live and linked this to the food that they eat and the ways in which they move. Having developed all of this knowledge, we then put it to good use on our latest art project, making paper mâché animal masks. We built up the basic structure of our masks by adding lots of layers of newspaper and glue, and then built up ears, beaks, noses and snouts that matched the shape of the creature we had chosen. Finally, we painted the masks to match the colouring of our animal, working carefully to include the spots, stripes and markings that make each of them unique. We were super proud of our finished masks, and loved showing them off in class!

Year 4 - We have been exploring colour patterns inspired by Wassily Kandinsky, developing our colour mixing skills and our knowledge of colours that complement and contrast. Recently we have been creating prints based on the work of William Morris, exploring the use of patterns and block colours.