Art

St Edward's Art 2024 - 2025

"Every child is an artist"

Pablo Picasso

‘Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should 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.’

National Curriculum Art (2014)

At St. Edward’s we encourage our children to develop their creativity and imagination as they experiment with a range of different materials in their art lessons. Our pupils have the opportunity to sketch, draw and make to develop their skills of precision and manipulating materials for effect.

Through our curriculum we hope to give children a variety of exciting opportunities to express themselves through the medium of art and design. We teach children to be creative, challenge themselves and develop a passion for, and understanding of, art and design. We aim for the children to understand how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation. As Pablo Picasso once said, “every child is an artist.” This is something we believe and nurture at St. Edward’s.

The curriculum for art and design aims 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.

Key Stage 1

Pupils are taught:

• to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products
• to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination
• to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space
• about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.

Key Stage 2

Pupils are taught:

• to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.
• to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas
• to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials (for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay)
• about great artists, architects and designers in history.

A prayer to St. Catherine of Bologna, patron saint of artists.

Bless the creators, O God of creation, who by their gifts make the world a more joyful and beautiful realm.

Through their labors they teach us to see more clearly the truth around us.

In their inspiration they call forth wonder and awe in our own living. In their hope and vision, they remind us that life is holy.

Bless all who create in your image, O God of creation.

Pour your Spirit upon them that their hearts may sing and their works be fulfilling.

Amen.

Christmas Card Project

This year will be our second year taking part in 'The Christmas Card Project'. Last year was highly successful and the commission that we earnt as a school allowed up to purchase a new art scheme for this year, along with more art materials to be used in lessons! We thank you for your support and hope that this year will be just as rewarding. 

Whole School Art Week - Self-Portraits 

During Art Week, every year group focused on learning about and working in the style of a different artist. Every child created a self-portrait, reflecting the style of their chosen artist.

We were also very lucky to have a local artist visit St Edward’s, who worked with Years 1 and 2 to create their beautiful artwork.

Whole School Creation display

In preparation for our whole school retreat with Dan and Emily, each class was asked to produce some art based on 1 day of the creation story. The children used the skills they have been working on in class to create their display. I am sure you will agree the finished work looks amazing. Thank you, also , to any parents who sent in work form home to add  to our display.