Art and Design

Intent
 
Our Art curriculum is an important element in enabling children to flourish and ‘live life in abundance’.  (John 10:10) Through the teaching of art and design, it is our intent that our children not only use a range of media and materials to develop their skills in drawing, painting, printing, sculpture and textile but also broaden their cultural capital, learning about great artists, artistic styles and periods both in the UK and across the world. We set out to develop both their imagination and creativity, whilst nurturing a greater understanding of culture and how art has shaped it.

At Hawridge and Cholesbury CE School, our unique FRESH curriculum drivers play an important role in teaching the art and design skills set out in the National Curriculum. With an area of outstanding natural beauty on our doorstep, our children are enthused by nature and provided with endless inspiration, from rolling Chiltern Hills to spiralling mighty Red Kites in the sky. As Henry Matisse once said, “An artist must possess Nature. He must identify himself with her rhythm, by efforts that will prepare the mastery which will later enable him to express himself in his own language.”

All our school values are interwoven in our art and design curriculum but we put particular emphasis on peace and respect. We intend for all children to be engaged by the tasks we offer allowing them to become fully immersed in creativity and thus experiencing inner peace; enjoying the moment, becoming more reflective and cultivating a contented spirit. With reflection, comes the ability to evaluate their work, thinking about how they can make changes and continue improving. Our children are encouraged to develop this reflection to learn to respect the ability and work of their peers and constructively communicate their thoughts and feelings about artistic expression.