The DT and art curriculum overview for 2023-24:

Our vision for art and design is for our children to communicate what they see, feel and think through the skills, concepts and knowledge taught in engaging and practical art lessons.

“Raising aspirations” is embedded into all aspects of school life and learning at Minet Infant and Nursery School including in the art and design curriculum. We want children to use their imagination and develop their creativity to create high-quality pieces that they can proudly take ownership and pride in. We aim to provide children with opportunities to explore a variety of material, tools, techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture to produce pieces of art influenced by works of famous artists.

Our art and design curriculum contributes to children’s personal development in line with our school values. Using art as a means for children to follow their own ideas and express themselves without a fear of being wrong is a powerful way to build resilience, responsibility and respect. We encourage them to be proud of their work, talk confidently about it and to share it with others.

Teachers follow a clear progression of skills and knowledge which ensures all children are challenged in line with their year group expectations and are given the opportunity to build on their prior knowledge. Areas covered include famous artists, sculpture, pattern and texture. Throughout the Minet journey, every child is given the opportunity to learn the skills of drawing, painting, printing, sculpture and digital art through the exploration of an initial key artist, craft maker or designer and their work. Cross-curricular links are promoted to allow all children to deepen their understanding across the curriculum, including the use of technology, and artworks from year group specific historical, geographical and scientific contexts. Subject-specific vocabulary is developed through children participating in in-depth discussions about key artworks and their own work helping them to become confident art critics, to share their opinions and to make informed observations about what will improve their own practical work.

Spring 1 Art Work 2024

In Reception, the children have been learning about the artist Robert Nicholls. He is famous for drawing dinosaurs and the children have been looking closely at dinosaurs so they know what parts they need to draw. They used the skills of colour mixing to make the colours needed to paint their dinosaurs. 

In Year 1, the children have been learning about British female artist, Bridget Riley. She is famous for making optical illusion art and the children have been practising the skills to make their own. The children learnt how to draw different line shapes and how to choose and use contrasting colours.  

In Year 2, children have been learning about the artist John Malone. He creates weather art and the children painted their own. They looked at scale to make sure their sketches filled the page. They then learnt how to use different types of paint brushes to paint different sections. They used a fan brush to create the ombre effect.  

Autumn 1 Art Work 2023

The topic for this half term has been 'minibeasts.' The children have been learning how to hold a paint brush to paint minibeasts. They found a spider in the outdoor area and were interested in painting their own spiders. 

The topic for this half term has been 'People who help us.' The children used their skill of holding a paint brush to paint the people who help them such as police officers, teachers, doctors etc. 

The children have been using clay to make sculptures of animals. They have been learning different techniques on how to mould the clay. 

Year 2 parent/ carer art exhibition: