West Leigh Infant School

Intent

At West Leigh Infant School, our motto is to Aim High, Work Hard and Have Fun.  As a whole school we ensure that in each Year Group, every child has the opportunity to thrive and flourish in the Creative Arts.

The art curriculum at West Leigh Infants School allows children to express their individual thoughts and ideas and explore their curiosity and creativity. The children think critically about artwork from great artists and sculptors, and consider which elements of their work they like and dislike to inspire their own artwork. Children at West Leigh Infants School are exposed to a wide range of mediums including a variety of paints, clay, charcoal, chalk, oil pastels and pencils. They are also given the opportunity to use mixed media to create exciting textures in their artwork. Throughout the learning journey, children are encouraged to be reflective of their own and peers work, offering specific praise and supportive feedback.

In Leigh on Sea, there is a thriving artistic community which we value and aim to immerse the children in. We participate in local community projects such as ‘Hares About Town’ and the Leigh Art Trail. We encourage the children to reflect on their art work and have pride in the skills they have learnt during their time at West Leigh.

The art curriculum we teach at West Leigh Infants School is based on the National Curriculum and is delivered in line with topics being taught. It 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.

Implementation

At West Leigh Infants School we teach children a range of artistic skills such as drawing, painting, printing, collage, textiles and 3D work.

We allow room for individual creativity and expression with no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ results. Teachers model the practice and application of these skills in a whole class setting, and then children are given the time to explore and develop ideas either in smaller groups or as a class, depending on the skill. In Reception, during their provision time, children are also encouraged to explore their skills for themselves independently. We have a spiral curriculum, which begins in Reception and allows key vocabulary and skills to be revisited each year and built upon. Learning journeys typically start with the discussion of an artist’s work before exploring and practicing similar techniques, leading up to a final piece of artwork that is then evaluated by themselves and/or peers.

Impact

By the time the children leave West Leigh Infants School, they should be able to discuss their own or others work in detail, commenting on the colours, shapes, lines and textures of the piece. They will have a good understanding of the various skills that they have revisited over the years. Children will be supported and challenged appropriately, with examples of how to do this provided on the planning.

Through Aiming High, Working Hard and Having Fun, our children leave our School with a love for the creative arts and the skills needed to explore their creativity further. 

Please click on link below to access our progression document.