Teaching art and design at Warren Road Primary School
Subject Leader: Mrs Gallagher
What we are learning
Please click on your child’s age group below to read more about what your child will be learning this academic year
Year 1
Autumn
The children will learn about artists and look and self portraits. They will use different media to create self portraits, focussing on similarities and differences in appearance.
Spring
The children will learn to use materials to create different effects through weaving, colour and texture.
Summer
The children will look at pictures of a range of sculptures and discuss them. The children will learn about materials and the processes used in making sculptures. They will make their own sculpture from clay.
Year 2
Autumn
Picture this
To introduce the language of art. Introduce the children to a wide range of elements contained in Year 1& 2 programmes of study including line and shape.
- To learn to read a picture and create their own from their imagination.
- To learn that there are many types of pencil marks and they can be used in a variety of ways.
- To make simple drawings and marks with a pencil.
- To use 2D shapes to create their own picture.
- To apply rules which will control risk when using materials, tools and equipment.
- To use hand tools safely.
- To identify and create a personal design made from simple 2D shapes.
- To develop their design through observation, shape and drawing.
- To use equipment safely eg. scissors.
- To measure and cut accurately.
- To assemble, join and combine shapes in order to make a shape picture.
- To evaluate their designs and work achieved.
Spring
In this unit children explore shape and pattern in buildings. They look at and record the use of shape, space and pattern in local public buildings. They will be encouraged to think about how these features tell us something about the purpose of the building.
Summer
Mother nature
In this unit children explore line, shape, colour and texture in natural forms. They make observations of natural objects and use their observations as the basis for textile design. They use their experience of fabrics to make a collage and learn and use simple techniques for applique.
Year 3
Autumn
Investigating pattern
Children will be able to identify simple shapes and describe different ways that patterns are made. They explore ways of making and creating patterns, talking about methods and ideas and describe different ways that patterns are made.
Children will experiment with techniques to create patterns, using a number of shapes and colours. They will be able to identify the similarities and differences between their own work and other’s work and be able to offer comments and opinions about work produced.
Spring
Portraits
Children will question and make thoughtful observations about the starting points for their work, having closely observed the work of known artists. They will begin to recognise and apply facial proportion, noting that the face is divided into quadrants. Children will recognise and apply positioning of facial features and skin colour to their own portraits. Children will be able to identify the similarities and differences between their own work and other’s work. Children will be able to offer comments and opinions about work produced.
Summer
Can we Change Places?
Children will question and make thoughtful observations about why and how sculptors and others work to improve the quality of an environment. They will record from first-hand observation and collect visual and other information to help them develop their ideas, including using a sketchbook. Children will explore ideas for a site-specific sculpture. They design, create and paint a clay sculpture to improve the environment within the school, experimenting with different techniques of joining and creating texture within clay. They will then evaluate their sculpture in its chosen place.
Year 4
Autumn
Viewpoints – In this unit, the children will study their shoe from different viewpoints, looking in detail from above, below and the side. Using a viewfinder, they will examine their shoes in more detail to create an abstract painting.
Spring
Vincent Van Gogh – During this topic, the children will learn about the life and artwork of Vincent Van Gogh. They will learn the technique of blending to create their own version of one of his paintings, using oil pastels.
Summer
Journeys – During this topic, the children will look at the signs, symbols around them and how to use these to represent journeys.
Year 5
Autumn
During this term, the children look at examples of still life paintings and drawings. The children get to explore different compositions and try to focus on the skill of shading to create different effects.
Spring
Over this term, Year 5 learn about the artist Charles Keeping, who illustrates lots of the texts we study during the year in Literacy. They attempt to copy his style and finish this topic with a trip to the Keeping Gallery, where they get to look at the original examples of the illustrations they have studied.
Summer
This term, the children learn about tapestry. They get to try out a range of sewing stitches and techniques, creating their fabric version of an every day item.
Year 6
Autumn – Figures in Action
Children learn how to draw a person to scale, thinking about body proportions. The work of other artists is used as a starting point for children to compare methods and techniques to draw a person sitting and then moving to action. Children experiment with various media, including pencil, pastels and water colours.
Spring – What a Performance
The starting point for this unit is African masks. Children explore how masks are used to transform a person into something new. We also look at how nature and the animal kingdom inspire different styles of masks. Children learn to carefully copy the work of other artists then use this as a starting point to create their own drawings. These ideas are evaluated and a paper template is then created. Children are continually encouraged to evaluate work and build new ideas. Finally card masks are made from mainly natural and recycled materials.
Summer – Year Books
Most of our art is linked to the Isle of Wight and the Year Books. Children are encouraged to use different media including pencil crayon, paint and watercolours, to produce finished items for the year books. Classes choose different artists as inspiration for work, such as Andy Warhol and Picasso.
