We value the views of our pupils and hold termly informal chats with groups of pupils from Year 1-Year 6 with the Art and Design Ambassadors to hear what they think about each subject. Each half term we see a different group of children so that we get opinions and ideas from throughout the school. We also visit EYFS with the Art and Design Ambassadors and speak to the children about their experiences.
Spring 2024
The Art and Design Curriculum Ambassadors visited the EYFS and spoke to Reception children about their experience of art and design.
The ambassadors spoke about instead of standing up they got down to their level as the children seemed a little scared to talk to them at first.
The children have been learning all about whales, sharks and other sea creatures. These were seen on display on the walls and the children were happy to show off their own creations to the older children. The ambassadors noticed that most of the children chose this theme in their answers.
Martha - When I made an eating shark, I did bubbles.
Akshay -I like painting hammerhead sharks and purple.
Frankie -I like drawing mummy and daddy.
Nova - I painted artic whales with a small brush.
Alisha - I like colouring with paints. I like rainbows.
Martha - (showed a collage she had just made) It has sticky, I put these (sequins) on with glue. I drew these (pictures) and cut it out, stuck it on so it wouldn't fall off. I like drawing hearts.
Amelia - I painted a shark, I used black paint and yellow for the sun. I used thin paintbrushes. I like the sun best because I like yellow. I like painting rainbows. I like sea animals.
Kayla - I painted an artic shark, it was grey and I did the sea blue. I like to draw unicorns and Elsa. William - I like painting sharks, drawing flowers and painting with little paintbrushes.
Holly - I like drawing rainbows, people and yourself.
Margo - I like drawing whales and minions and painting blue whales.
The children looked through the Year 6 sketchbooks made observations.
Charlie - I like blue sea, lighthouses with stripes, orange skies, Jackson Pollock, dots and splashes. The sunset.
Talitha - I like the splats and colours.
James - I like the colours in the pictures and lighthouse stripes.
Amelia - I like the lighthouses, dots and splashes, orange sky and the colours.
When looking through the sketchbook, the ambassadors noticed that Charlie looked confused when they reached the page about Henry Moore war art. They asked what he was thinking and he answered 'it's dark', they explained that in Y2 and Y6 he would be learning about the world wars and people were sad. That is why it is darker than the other work in their sketchbooks.
The ambassadors spoke about their experience in EYFS and enjoyed talking to the little ones, they were proud to show them their work and the older children were proud that the children liked their sketchbooks. They were amazed about how much the children were exploring colour mixing, their confidence in talking about what they liked and also spoke about the learning themes being important to what the younger children liked to paint and draw. They talked about how KS1 could build on the work in EYFS and colour mix in pallets instead of on paper.
There was a great variety of art in EYFS, from collage, sculpture, drawing, wax resist, painting (watercolour and ready mix) and lots of opportunities for the children to refine their skills in the provision.
Autumn 2023
We asked the children which artists they have been learning about this year or last.
Harry Horton - photographer
Derek Gores - collage artist
Judith Scott - weaver
Gustav Klimt - painter
Bharti Kher - painter
Henry Moore - war artist and sculptor
Stephen Wiltshire - drawing artist
Chris Ofilli - painter
L.S. Lowry - painter
Slinkachu - Photographer
We asked the children what art they can remember doing.
- Making a lighthouse model with a light and the sea, gluing, joining, cutting, scrunching, tapes
- Clay dinosaur
- Felt dinosaur sewing
- Painting, foreground, background, water colour, acrylic, colour mixing
- Drawing buildings,
- Collage and patterns
- Mindfulness doodling
Spring 2023
We asked the children about what they had been learning recently in Art and Design, (we found they had been very busy).
- Drawing and painting like Picasso.
- Learning how to express our feelings throughout our art, learning how to paint rainbows, learning how to carefully use different brushes and paints , making collage with tiny pieces of magazines, drawing and painting using stone age pictures and materials.
- Learning about masks and how to make them, making tissue paper bleed, zentangles, drawing animals from the Stone Age, drawing buildings like Stephen Wiltshire, and painting like Frida Kahlo, expressing ourselves in our portraits, cave art, mark making,
- How to make photographs like Slinkachu, using different materials like chalk, graphite, weaving and making card, string and wool 3D art like Judith Scott, drawing like Henry Moore, abstract art like Jackson Pollock and Maria Vieria da Silva.
- War art, taking photographs, editing photographs and creating a tableau, 3D sculpture.
- Using organic and geometric shapes, abstract art, bright colours, patterns, portraits, blending and texture.
- Vivienne Westwood, Derek Gores.
- Giacometti and 3d sculpture
- Mark making and cross hatching with different materials, chalk, graphite, chalk and making stone age art.
We asked the children if they enjoy their lessons...
- Yes because we like drawing and painting whilst you can express yourself your imagination throughout the art work.
- Definitely because it's fun to do and you can be creative.
- Yes, it's fun and I like drawing and painting.
- Yes because it's exciting and you can have creativity.
- Yes, because I'm good at drawing and I like drawing. Tuesday is my favourite day, I like creating stuff. It's fun learning about artists.
- Yes because you can be creative and use different textures to create work that looks nice.
We asked the children what kind of activities they do in Art and Design...
- Weaving, sketching, painting, and drawing.
- 3D art, painting and drawing, exploring and trying things out.
- Designing things, planning and putting our ideas into action.
We asked our children if they think their work is challenging and you think it is hard...
- I think it is challenging because when I first started, I found it hard to draw and paint.
- We have to put in lots of effort.
- Yes, because it makes me think hard.
- Yes, sewing details onto a T- shirt was quite hard - I still wear it!
We asked the children if they can recall any art specific words... - blending, shading, texture, symbols, organic, geometric, abstract, technique, smooth, bumpy, tableau, scene, swirling, colour.
We asked the children how they felt about Art in our school...
- I feel good about art because it is fun and I like doing it. I am always looking forward to another lesson.
- good, lots of actual art but not too much learning about the artists - it's balanced. - Not too much writing and lots of art.
We asked the children to tell us about famous artists that they had learnt about in Art and Design...
- Henry Moore was a famous artist who drew what he saw in the war.
- Picasso did amazing art using colours.
- Henry Moore drew pictures of the war tunnels.
Judith Scott - created weaving objects.
- L. S. Lowry made cityscapes.
- Slinkachu did art and photography.
- Chris Ofili painted and used elephant dung in his art.
- Henri Matisse made painted collages with scissors, he worked from his bed and used a stick on the wall.
We asked the children what is art an design...
- Art and Design is something where you can create what you want to and no one can tell you it is wrong because all art is different.
- Drawing expressing yourself, painting and having fun.
- Design is where you design different buildings and objects such as sky scrapers, stadiums an clothes.
- Art is where you create paintings, sculpture and drawings using different materials.
We asked the children why we learn about art and Design...
- Art and Design helps us, giving us a chance to be creative and to express ourselves. Normally we learn subjects where you have to stick to a rule. In Art and Design, you can create anything you want to.
- To gain knowledge of different art and artists and to enjoy it because its fun.
- To help us with our art skills and to express how you feel.
- So when you are older you can be an artist.
- It is something you can do to calm down from doing lots of work. Not everyone thinks they are very artistic but it is yours to enjoy.
- To find out what different ways there are of doing things to make Art and Design. You could all also get inspired to make your own type of art.
We asked the children what they enjoyed about art and design in our school.
I really like it because you get to be creative and it's fun.
It's different from the learning in other subjects.
I love getting creative and making things. It's my favourite subject and I want to be an art ambassador.
We get to make things and try new things.
It's my favourite because it makes me feel free and use your imagination.
You can draw and make things.
We asked the children how the teacher helps you to remember things.
She goes through things with us in our sketchbook.
We go through things that we have done in previous lessons.
Describing things and giving us examples.
She shows us that colour makes things pop on the page.
We asked what the children would like to do more of.
The children would like an art afterschool club
The children want to do more sewing and pottery
We asked the children what is art an design...
- Art and Design is something where you can create what you want to and no one can tell you it is wrong because all art is different.
- Drawing expressing yourself, painting and having fun.
- Design is where you design different buildings and objects such as sky scrapers, stadiums an clothes.
- Art is where you create paintings, sculpture and drawings using different materials.
We asked the children why we learn about art and Design...
- Art and Design helps us, giving us a chance to be creative and to express ourselves. Normally we learn subjects where you have to stick to a rule. In Art and Design, you can create anything you want to.
- To gain knowledge of different art and artists and to enjoy it because its fun.
- To help us with our art skills and to express how you feel.
- So when you are older you can be an artist.
- It is something you can do to calm down from doing lots of work. Not everyone thinks they are very artistic but it is yours to enjoy.
- To find out what different ways there are of doing things to make Art and Design. You could all also get inspired to make your own type of art.
We asked the children what the teacher does to make lessons interesting...
- Because we get to draw and make things, it's really fun.
- Lets us do art not just research. Lets us do art we like and have choices.
- She lets us watch inspiring videos
- We get to use and do what we want for an art project.
- We get a choice between one or another. It is always fair.
- They give us information and let have choices.
- They tell us facts about the artist we are researching about.
- They let us research all about famous people that made inspiring art.
We asked the children if they think they are making good progress in Art and Design...
- yes, drawing, I am making progress with planning my designs because normally I rush into things.
- Yes, because we are learning new techniques.
- Yes, because I keep practising and it makes me better.
- Yes, I have a smoother hand.
- Yes, the start of the book I was drawing like this...now look at my zentangles.
- Yes, because I'm getting better all the time.
We asked the children what their teacher does that help you remember what you have been taught...
- We do it in our sketchbooks and we get to look through them.
- They make the lessons fun and exciting so I can remember what they taught me in a fun way.
- They let us write down how we do it and cool techniques.
- Quizes and using our sketchbooks, we work in our books and stick photos of our bigger work in.
- Make things fun to remember, writing things on the board to help us.
- She makes the lesson interesting. We learn facts about the artist and have a lot of new techniques to work on.
We asked the children what tools and equipment they had been using...
- painting tools and brushes, scissors, glue, pens, watercolours, pencils, acrylic paint, brushes, charcoal, graphite, rubbers, sharpies, tissue paper, sugar paper, gel pens, oil pastels, chalk, different papers, clay, were, tin foil and pliers.
We asked the children if they think they are making good progress in Art and Design...
- yes, drawing, I am making progress with planning my designs because normally I rush into things.
- Yes, because we are learning new techniques.
- Yes, because I keep practising and it makes me better.
- Yes, I have a smoother hand.
- Yes, the start of the book I was drawing like this...now look at my zentangles.
- Yes, because I'm getting better all the time.
We asked the children what their teacher does that help you remember what you have been taught...
- We do it in our sketchbooks and we get to look through them.
- They make the lessons fun and exciting so I can remember what they taught me in a fun way.
- They let us write down how we do it and cool techniques.
- Quizes and using our sketchbooks, we work in our books and stick photos of our bigger work in.
- Make things fun to remember, writing things on the board to help us.
- She makes the lesson interesting. We learn facts about the artist and have a lot of new techniques to work on.
We asked the children what tools and equipment they had been using...
- painting tools and brushes, scissors, glue, pens, watercolours, pencils, acrylic paint, brushes, charcoal, graphite, rubbers, sharpies, tissue paper, sugar paper, gel pens, oil pastels, chalk, different papers, clay, were, tin foil and pliers.
We asked the children what the teacher does to make lessons interesting...
- Because we get to draw and make things, it's really fun.
- Lets us do art not just research. Lets us do art we like and have choices.
- She lets us watch inspiring videos
- We get to use and do what we want for an art project.
- We get a choice between one or another. It is always fair.
- They give us information and let have choices.
- They tell us facts about the artist we are researching about.
- They let us research all about famous people that made inspiring art.
Autumn 2022
We asked pupils what is art and design... - creating, drawing something, painting, modelling, using different techniques and having fun.
- designing is making something, imagining, making, using different shapes, colours, using unique tools.
- sculptures, pictures, painting and animations.
We asked pupils what they have been learning about in art and design... - Henry Moore, John S Sargent and other war artists.
- Matisse the artist that works with scissors, geometric shapes and organic shapes.
- Giacometti is a sculptor.
- Derek Gores the collage artist.
- Huang Yuxing paintings.
- Slinkachu, he makes photographs of little people and scenes.
- Pablo Picasso and his effect on Cubism.
- a season Wheel (Phenology Wheel).
- visiting an art museum (The Lowry).
Sijia Chen, the collage artist.
We asked pupils what teachers do to help us remember what we have learnt in art and design... - they ask us what we did before.
- they let us go through our sketchbook to see what we have been learning and what we did.
- we look at some art words from the front of our sketchbooks and we write them down when we do projects.
- they explain it and check we understand.
- they remind us by modelling and asking us to explain what we know.
We asked pupils if they enjoyed art and design... - yes because it's fun.
- yes because we do different techniques.
- it is calm, relaxing and you can be free.
- we can do our own ideas.
- yes, because art lets you release your inner emotions and because the teachers don't make you sketchbooks.
- yes, because you get to draw and make stuff.
- the teacher makes it fun and we get to create.
What tools and equipment have you used... - oil pastels, watercolour paints and pencils.
- marker pens, acrylic paints, gel pens, thin markers, paint tools, clay tools, clay and wire.
- fabric pens and paints when we did upcycled T-shirts.
We asked pupils why we learn about art and design... - to help us with our imagination.
- to be creative and independent.
- to do the right techniques.
- so we can do different skills to help us with life ahead.
- so you can be a good artist.
- to help us create and imagine some unique things.
- to help us know about artists.
- because it is calm, relaxing, you enjoy it and it is fun.
- learn how to develop work over time in drawing and painting.
- to be independent and creative.
We asked pupils what teachers do to help us learn in art and design... - they show us examples.
- they show us how to do things and then we can do our own.
- they give us techniques to try and let us do things independently.
- give us interesting ideas to try.
- help us step by step and make it funny like when Mrs Gordon asked William to lie on the floor and started drawing him. Then we all drew our partners.
- teachers make it fun.
- they don't stop you if you get something wrong, they help you and make it fun.
We asked pupils what they have learnt in art and design last year... - colour mixing painted animals with watercolours and different paintbrushes.
- modern Olympians like Giacometti sculptures out of wire, foil and clay.
- L. S. Lowry at the art gallery and perspective drawing.
- Derek Gores collage with magazines.
- Slinkachu photography artist.
- sculptors, Paul Klee and Anthony Gormley.
- Huang Yuxing - a Chinese artist who painted magic pebbles and rainbow mountains.
- we made little books about famous artists and Picasso faces.
- Claude Monet, water colour and pastels.
We asked pupils what they thought about art and design in our school... - interesting because you can design your own patterns.
- fun because you can create unique drawings. - easy because you can think of ideas and ask for help.
- it is fun but a bit frustrating when you are trying hard to do something.
- it is fun as you don't know what you will be doing next.
- I feel happy, excited and full of joy when they tell us we were doing art.
- I love it because you get to be creative and free.
- I like it because it is fun and it makes you learn and experiment with new techniques.
We asked pupils what kind of activities do you do in art and design...
- we learn different techniques and designs.
- we look at slide shows and go off and have fun with our own designs.
- we do collage, projects, sculptures, modelling, researching and painting.
- we do model making and drawing.
- research about artists.
Spring 2 2022
We asked pupils what we do to help them learn more and remember more...
- Teachers modelling the activity.
- Using a video link that the children to access to stop and start if they are learning a new technique.
- Looking at a power point to give them time to think of their own ideas.
- Using knowledge organisers to help with language and remind them about techniques to use.
- Teachers to recap previous learning in that area e.g. colour mixing, blending, hatching, cross hatching areas of shapes.
We asked pupils what did they learn about in Art and Design last term/year that helps them with this work...
- Doing the LS Lowry work with the teacher last year helped them to learn new techniques to use in their sketchbook.
Claude Monet work in Year 5 showed them how to blend water colours and showed that water colour does not go over oil pastels.
Working with pastel chalks and different blending methods and making smooth edges with masking tape.
outlining painted work to make the edges neater/clearer on Remembrance artwork.
We asked pupils to explain key subject vocabulary in context...
Elongated - a stretched out shape like the Giacometti sculptures.
Distorted - When something the shape is changed not to look like it should.
Abstract - Artwork that does not look like the object that has been painted, e.g. Many Jackson Pollock action paintings using the drip method did not even have a title only a number because he didn't want people to try and interpret the meaning of the painting and enjoy it for what it was.
Year 3
- I like the phenology wheel, every month we go outside and see changes and we draw what we see and then draw something for a celebration in that month.
- You can make something and you can design it any way you want.
Year 2
- Colouring, it brightens the place up like a rainbow.
- You can design whatever you like, my favourite thing is to paint with watercolours.
Year 1
- I like cutting things out, I know it makes my handwriting neater! (muscles)
- We used colourful bricks to make a printed circle.
- When you draw a lot, you get better and better.
We asked pupils what they find difficult...
- It's hard to get the texture of something you are drawing to make it look realistic.
- Drawing shapes of things, especially circles!
- Sculpture, it's hard to make things attach e.g. tin foil maquettes.
We asked pupils could they talk about a famous artist, designer or craft-maker...
Georgia O'Keeffe, she painted very large flowers in bright colours.
Vincent Van Gogh painted Starry Night, his paint was very thick and we used forks when we used the paint to get the right texture.
Jackson Pollock used the drip method.
We asked pupils what they are learning about in art at the moment...
- Jackson Pollock was inspired by Pablo Picasso, his work had number titles to stop people seeing things in his paintings, he was an abstract artist.
- Claude Monet was an impressionist painter. His work was based outdoors and he made lots of different paintings over many seasons. His most famous works had Bridges and Waterlilies.
Wrapper collage and walking a line
- Giacometti, he was a sculptor, he sculpted in bronze and one of them is called the Pointing Man.
- L.S. Lowry, we really liked seeing lots of his work at the Lowry Gallery. He painted matchstick men and what he saw, he used only 5 colours of paint. His people had very little detail as he showed how they felt with their body (people who are sad are learning forward with their heads down, people who were happy had straight backs).
Spring 2022
All the children were confidently talking about their real love of art and design and sharing with one another all the artwork they have enjoyed so far in their classes.
We asked pupils what they like about art and design?
Year 6
- I really liked the Claude Monet Bridges and Lillies work with watercolour pencils and pastels.
- Doing intricate silhouettes, drawing and painting within the lines, tracing, blending and creating the background.
- Drawing with oil pastels and blending pastels to make a sunset sky.
- Doing the paint and charcoal trees, they looked really good.
Year 5
- Drawing is relaxing and you can draw what you want to.
- Watercolour painting, I like blending and they look beautiful and everyone used different colours.
Year 4
- You can let your imagination run wild.
- We crafted snowmen with cotton wool.
- Christmas drawings because we learned how to blend and shade.
Summer 2019
We asked pupils what they like about art...
- I like how creative you can be.
- You can draw something no one else has ever drawn.
- Colouring in, interpreting, observing and accurate sketching.
We asked the pupils if they work in groups of independently...
- We work in groups and on our own.
- I like working in groups better because everyone can work together and more minds means it will be more creative.
- We can choose, if we want to work with a partner we can, we can work together in our own sketchbooks too and share ideas.
We asked pupils what words describe art in our school...
- Creative, beautiful, pretty, colourful, visually satisfying, fun, good and inspiring.
Spring 2020
We asked pupils what they would like to do more of in art?...
- Painting on big paper.
- Using the wax to make the cushions (Art/D.T. Project).
- 3D art and sculpture.
- Painting with points/dots.
What has been your favourite part of art?
- Drawing because it’s quick, we do lots of it and can have different pencils and special rubbers.
- Painting and using brusho, it’s fun to put the colours on and figure out how it will go.
- Making different colours and painting to make pictures like artists using different paints.
Autumn 2019
We asked pupils what they like about art...
- It’s creative, fun and challenging
- I like that it’s soothing.
- Art is a creative activity that uses imaginative or technical skills.
- We went to the Lowry Art Gallery and learned about using different techniques with watercolour.
We asked the pupils how we could improve art in our school...
- Use iPads and learn to take and edit photos.
- Do more work in our sketchpads and have time to look at them.
We asked pupils what they would like to do more of...
- 3D art and sculpture, painting with watercolours.
- Go to an art gallery.
- Learning to draw different things.
- Working with an artist, I liked when we did that big fabric picture (wall hanging)/ Printing and sewing.
