Intent

At St. Sebastian’s, we know how important Art and Design are for our children's education. That's why we have an exciting and engaging art curriculum that aims to inspire ambition and aspiration. We love challenging our students and take pride in doing so. Our curriculum includes stimulating enrichment opportunities that are both relevant and inspiring. Through this enhanced program, our students will develop critical thinking skills and gain a better understanding of their own and others' cultural backgrounds by studying a diverse range of artists, both male and female, from local and global perspectives.

As a trauma & attachment informed school, we recognise that pupils learn best when they feel happy, safe, secure and regulated. We offer an ambitious curriculum that equips all pupils with the knowledge and skills to succeed. We aim to provide all our children, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, a curriculum that is exciting, relevant and challenging. We strive to ensure that all children develop a positive attitude towards maths and numeracy and become confident, life-long mathematicians. Children will develop their understanding of the visual language of art with effective teaching and considered sequences of lessons and experiences. A high-quality art and design education engages, inspires and challenges pupils, equipping them with the positive attitude, knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design – our aims exactly. As pupils progress, they are able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They grow to know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation. Art and design stimulates creativity and promotes imagination.

St. Sebastian’s has always emphasised the critical importance of providing the highest quality education. Our thoughtfully designed and adaptive art and design curriculum offers a variety of sensory experiences, giving children a unique way to understand and respond to the world. It allows them to express what they see, feel, and think through the use of colour, texture, form, pattern, construction, and various materials and processes. Through art and design activities, children become engaged in shaping their environments, learning to make informed judgments and both aesthetic and practical decisions.

Implementation

We deliver lessons that are both creative and engaging, ensuring that all children receive tailored support through effective quality teaching and adaptive strategies to accommodate their diverse learning styles and preferences. The skills and knowledge children develop in each art topic are mapped across each year group and throughout the school to ensure progression. This includes opportunities to revisit and revise, helping children recall and apply what they’ve learned. Emphasising knowledge ensures that children understand the context of the artwork and the artists they study, allowing them to make connections to other subjects such as history and geography. They develop a deep understanding of individual artists, works, and art movements. A similar focus on skills provides children with opportunities to express their creative imagination and develop mastery in key art processes like drawing, painting, printing, textiles, and sculpture. The school’s high-quality art curriculum is supported by a wide range of quality resources, boosting children’s confidence in using different media.

Impact

We believe our children will:

• Develop an appreciation, enjoyment, and love for art and design.
• Cultivate positive attitudes towards art and design.
• Build confidence in using and applying acquired skills.
• Confidently recall key knowledge from current and past learning.
• Show an awareness of art and design in the curriculum and the wider world.
• Display pride and acknowledge the importance of art and design through classroom, school, and online exhibitions of their high-quality work.
• Develop personal qualities such as perseverance, independent thinking, self-confidence, and cooperation through art and design.