Greengate Lane Academy Astrea Academy Trust
Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
Pablo Picasso
Purpose of Education for Art
At Greengate Lane Primary Academy pupils study art to become knowledgeable, critical & creative thinkers with the disciplinary understanding to talk about and create their own unique responses to what they see. We want our pupils to have the language and cultural capital to engage in critical debate as well as develop skills in different areas of making, being inspired from contemporary, modern and traditional artists and to experiment with their own authentic creations.
Curriculum
The art curriculum is a knowledge rich curriculum covering the aims of the NC. We use the Primary Knowledge Curriculum, which is designed to enable children to make connections between the work of artists, architects and designers and their own work, which they evaluate and relate back to the works studied.
Meaningful opportunities for aspirational self-expression are woven through the curriculum which gives children the opportunity to learn who they are as an artist.
The curriculum provides for gradual progression in terms of skills (split into painting, drawing, 3D form, collage, textiles, printmaking and mixed media), introducing the children to a diverse a range of materials as possible. It also provides for progression in terms of knowledge of different concepts and types of art. The structure of the planning also provides for progression in 
terms of process in art, both in terms of critical analysis of others’ art and the necessary observation, exploration and evaluation needed for the children to create their own art.
Each unit of work covers each of the aims of the National Curriculum. The detailed long term plan summarises the concepts of art, types of art, skills and processes covered. It includes what artists, designers and architects are included in each unit.
The Curriculum includes culturally diverse units such as Year 5 art from the Islamic world, western Africa and China and these units address the issue of accepted art history narratives, colonialization and empire and the influence of non-Western art on art of the Western world.
Women artists have also been included, and in key stage 2 there is provision for discussing why women are under-represented in traditional 
Western art history narratives. Study of modernism and art from the 20th century in year 6 provides an opportunity to study art by women and artists from ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in British art.
Curriculum Impact on pupil outcomes
In art, it is expected that evidence of the children’s study will be recorded in sketchbooks which can include the work, or photographs of the work they produce each lesson. Sketchbooks may include written reflections on the work of other artists/designers/architects, as well as the children’s written reflections on their own work, their exploration in different media and development of skills. Additionally we expect pupils to be able to engage in dialogue and debate about different artists and use this knowledge to create their own responses and ideas.
Leaders measure the impact of the art curriculum through:
- lesson observations – how well children are contributing to discussions and are able to engage in critiquing art, and how they articulate ideas about relevant themes;
- learning walks – in the classroom environment, how the curriculum journey and outcomes are evidencing pupils are making progress in art
- book looks – to see pupil reflections, skills progression and authentic personal responses
- pupil voice – enables us to listen to pupils’ views about their learning and how well curriculum content is taught and understood, particularly their knowledge and language to discuss art as well as to create their own original pieces;
- Summative assessments through creative responses, knowledge quizzes and summative activities that demonstrate how the curriculum has been taught and remembered.