Art and Design

Art and Design Leader: Mrs Guest

Art and Design

Intent

At Holme Junior & Infant School, our art curriculum is designed to foster a deep appreciation for the arts, encouraging every child to express their unique creativity and individuality. Through our art curriculum, we aim to cultivate a sense of adventure, aspiration, and resilience, enabling students to take risks, embrace challenges, and develop their artistic skills with confidence. Grounded in our school values—Be Adventurous, Be Aspirational, Be Creative, Be Resilient, Be Respectful, and Be Independent—we strive to provide a holistic art education that nurtures students' abilities to observe, explore, and interpret the world around them.

Our curriculum is underpinned by our Curriculum Drivers:

• Creativity: We prioritise the creative process, allowing students to explore different mediums such as drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles, and 3D sculpture, inspiring them to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas.
• Diversity: Our art lessons incorporate a wide range of cultural perspectives, challenging stereotypes and celebrating the richness of diverse artistic traditions. We encourage students to explore art from various cultures and backgrounds, fostering respect and appreciation for different viewpoints.
• Community: We actively engage with our local community by sharing our artistic endeavours through exhibitions and collaborative projects, reinforcing the connection between our students and their surroundings.
• Aspiration: We inspire our students to aim high in their artistic achievements, exposing them to excellent role models, both contemporary and historical, in the art world.
• Environment: Our curriculum emphasises the importance of environmental awareness, encouraging students to use sustainable practices and materials in their art-making processes.

Implementation

Our art curriculum is carefully structured to build on students' prior knowledge and skills as they progress through each year group. Lessons are planned to ensure that students experience a wide range of artistic techniques and concepts, with a focus on developing both technical skills and creative thinking.

• Drawing: Students explore various drawing techniques, focusing on observation, line, tone, texture, and form. They study the works of different artists to inspire their own creations.
• Painting: We introduce students to a range of painting techniques, from watercolours to acrylics, helping them to understand colour theory and composition.
• Printmaking: Students learn various printmaking techniques, such as monoprinting, block printing, and screen printing, encouraging experimentation and creative problem-solving.
• Textiles: We offer opportunities for students to explore textile art, including weaving, fabric dyeing, and embroidery, integrating traditional and contemporary practices.
• 3D and Sculpture: Students work with different materials such as clay, wire, and recycled objects to create three-dimensional artworks, enhancing their spatial awareness and fine motor skills.

We ensure that every lesson not only teaches practical skills but also encourages critical thinking, self-expression, and reflection. The curriculum is enriched by visits from local artists, trips to galleries, and participation in community art projects, which provide students with real-world experiences and inspiration.

Impact

The impact of our art curriculum is evident in the confident, creative, and independent thinkers we develop. Our students leave Holme Junior & Infant School with:

• a deep appreciation for the arts and an understanding of its cultural significance.
• a portfolio of work that showcases their progression in technical skills and creative ideas.
• the ability to reflect on their own work and that of others, providing constructive feedback and celebrating diversity in artistic expression.
• a sense of belonging and connection to their community, demonstrated through their participation in local art exhibitions and projects.
• the resilience to tackle artistic challenges and the aspiration to continually improve their skills.

Our students are well-prepared to take their passion for art into the next stage of their education and beyond, equipped with the creativity and confidence to make meaningful contributions to the world.

Progression Documents

Artweek 2024 - our exhibition as a fringe venue 'The Lost Words'

The Lost Words is a ‘book of spells’ that seeks to conjure back the near-lost magic and strangeness of the nature that surrounds us. Each lost word is conjured back to importance through Robert MacFarlane’s powerful spells. They are called spells rather than poems as they are designed to be spoken (or sung!) out loud in order to summon back these words and creatures into our hearts. 

The book began as a response to the removal of everyday nature words - among them "acorn", "bluebell", "kingfisher" and "wren" - from a widely used children’s dictionary, because those words were not being used enough by children to merit inclusion. But The Lost Words then grew to become a much broader protest at the loss of the natural world around us, as well as a celebration of the creatures and plants with which we share our lives, in all their wonderful, characterful glory."

Robert explains: "We’ve got more than 50% of species in decline. And names, good names, well used can help us see and they help us care. We find it hard to love what we cannot give a name to. And what we do not love we will not save.”

Each acrostic spell has 3 accompanying artworks by Jackie Morris– a glorious triptych of watercolour painting – firstly a clever but solemn display of the creature or plant’s absence from our world, then the spell itself accompanied by an ‘icon-esque’ self portrait of the central character surrounded with sumptuous gold leaf, and finally the creature or plant is depicted embedded in its natural habitat.

Hilary Hughes generously donated 'The Lost Words' to Holme School several years ago after falling in love with the book. She was eager to share its magic, and it has indeed captivated the children at Holme School. Nestled in the stunning Yorkshire countryside, our school is fortunate to be immersed in nature every day. This exhibition was our way of expressing gratitude for her wonderful gift and for the extraordinary environment in which we live.

Holmfirth Arts Festival

Our children had the opportunity to take part in Holmfirth Arts Festival this year. Karen Stansfield from West Yorkshire Print Workshop visited our Class 2 pupils, who took part in a screen printing workshop based upon the work of Ukrainian folk artist, Maria Prymachenko. Our children carried our banner proudly through the streets of Holmfirth the following Saturday during the Sunflowers Parade. 

The Big Draw

For The Big Draw this year, the whole school were given the opportunity to work with Hardeep Singh Sahota, who has exhibited his Bhangra Lexicon light painting series at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The Big Draw theme this year was 'Drawing With Your Senses' so we used Bhangra music to dance to and a camera on a slow shutter speed to capture all of our movement. It was a very different way of drawing for the children than they are used to and they enjoyed it immensely! 

Sketchbooks

All children record their learning in their sketchbooks, experimenting with techniques and mediums, and working towards a final piece. Risks are encouraged and mistakes are celebrated! Pupils notate in their sketchbooks, commenting on what they have used and how they feel about their creations. Art from the past as well as contemporary artists are researched and art topics vary. Our sketchbooks are beautiful and pieces of work in their own right! 

Community Arts

We have invited parents, governors and other members of our school community in to create flowers for displays, take part in willow workshops and decorate mugs to celebrate royal occasions! Pupils' work has also been exhibited at Empty Gallery In Holme after creating some wonderful Greek pottery with local ceramicist, Tim Copsey. Our children took part in the Biennale, working with The Children's Art School, to create textile pieces which contributed to a stunning piece based on the work of Joanna Vasconcelos.