Art and Design
What does Art look like at Brill?
At Brill Church of England School, we believe that Art gives children the opportunity to observe, imagine, experiment and express ideas in ways that are uniquely their own.
We want every child to see themselves as an artist: someone who can explore ideas, develop skills, make creative choices and respond thoughtfully to the world around them.
Art and Design forms part of our Brill Horizons curriculum and is supported by Cornerstones Maestro, providing a carefully sequenced progression of artistic knowledge and skills from the Early Years through to Year 6.
Throughout their journey at Brill, children encounter a rich range of artists, designers, movements, techniques and creative traditions. They learn to work confidently with different materials and processes while developing their own ideas and increasingly individual artistic voice.
We want children to understand that Art is not about everybody producing the same finished piece. It is about looking closely, thinking creatively, experimenting bravely and making purposeful choices.
INTENT
Our Art and Design curriculum is ambitious for every child.
We want children to develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and curiosity to create, explore and respond to art.
Children progressively develop their understanding of drawing, painting, colour, print, pattern, texture, form and three-dimensional work, encountering a range of media, materials and techniques as they move through the school.
Alongside practical skills, children learn about artists and creative traditions from different periods, cultures and communities, exploring how and why art is created.
Through our Art curriculum, we aim for children to:
- develop confidence and enjoyment in creating art;
- build progressively sophisticated practical skills;
- experiment with a wide range of media, materials and techniques;
- observe carefully and record what they see;
- explore colour, line, shape, form, pattern, texture and space;
- generate and develop their own creative ideas;
- use sketchbooks to investigate, practise, record and refine;
- learn about significant artists, designers and creative traditions;
- encounter art from different cultures, periods and perspectives;
- analyse and respond thoughtfully to works of art;
- make purposeful artistic choices;
- evaluate and refine their own work; and
- develop an increasingly individual artistic voice.
We want children to recognise that creativity involves curiosity, experimentation and courage.
Not every idea will work. Not every mark needs to be perfect. Sometimes the most interesting creative discoveries happen when children are willing to experiment.
We encourage children to be bold in their ideas, brave in experimenting and Brill-iant in expressing their creativity.
IMPLEMENTATION
Brill Horizons and Cornerstones Maestro
Art and Design is taught through our Brill Horizons curriculum, supported by Cornerstones Maestro.
Learning is carefully sequenced so that children’s artistic knowledge, techniques and understanding develop progressively from their earliest creative experiences in the Early Years through to increasingly sophisticated and independent work in Year 6.
Children revisit important techniques and concepts, allowing them to practise, refine and apply what they have previously learned in new contexts.
Our Brill Horizons Big Ideas provide natural connections within Art, particularly:
Creativity – exploring and expressing original ideas;
Materials – understanding the possibilities and limitations of different media;
Processes – learning and refining artistic techniques;
Comparison – considering different artists, approaches and creative responses;
Significance – understanding influential artists, artworks and creative movements; and
Change – recognising how ideas and artwork develop and evolve.
These recurring ideas help children recognise that becoming an artist is a process of learning, experimenting, reflecting and developing.
Developing Artistic Knowledge and Skills
Children are explicitly taught the knowledge and techniques they need to become increasingly confident artists.
Throughout their Brill journey, they have opportunities to develop and refine skills across areas including:
- drawing;
- painting;
- colour;
- printing;
- pattern;
- collage;
- textiles;
- sculpture and three-dimensional form;
- mixed media; and
- other creative processes where appropriate.
Teachers model techniques and introduce children to the properties and possibilities of different media and materials.
As children progress, they are expected to use this growing repertoire with increasing control, confidence and independence.
The ultimate aim is not simply for children to know how to use a particular technique, but to be able to decide when and why they might choose to use it.
Sketchbooks – Thinking Like an Artist
Sketchbooks are an important part of the artistic process at Brill.
They provide children with a space to explore rather than simply perform.
Children use sketchbooks to:
- record observations;
- collect ideas and inspiration;
- experiment with materials;
- practise techniques;
- explore colour and composition;
- investigate the work of artists;
- annotate their thinking;
- develop initial ideas;
- revisit and refine possibilities; and
- reflect upon their developing work.
We want children to understand that a sketchbook does not need to be filled with polished, finished pieces.
It is a working space for curiosity, experimentation and creative thinking.
As children progress through school, their sketchbooks increasingly demonstrate the journey from inspiration and experimentation to purposeful artistic choices.
Artists, Designers and Creative Traditions
Children need to encounter great art in order to understand the possibilities of the subject.
Throughout their time at Brill, children study a diverse range of artists, designers, craftspeople and creative traditions.
They encounter work from different historical periods, cultures, communities and artistic traditions and consider:
What do we notice?
How might this have been created?
What choices has the artist made?
What might the artist be communicating?
How does this artwork make us think or feel?
What could we learn from it?
Children learn about artists not simply to imitate their finished work, but to investigate their ideas, techniques, influences and creative decisions.
We want children to be inspired by artists while developing ideas that increasingly become their own.
Looking, Talking and Responding to Art
Art is both something we create and something we experience.
Children are encouraged to look closely at artwork and develop the vocabulary and confidence to discuss what they notice.
They learn that responses to art can be personal and that different people may interpret the same artwork in different ways.
Children are encouraged to explain their responses and listen respectfully to the interpretations of others.
As their knowledge develops, they become increasingly able to discuss technique, media, composition, style, purpose and artistic choices, moving beyond simply saying whether they like or dislike a piece.
Creativity and Individual Expression
While children need secure knowledge and skills, we also want Art at Brill to provide genuine opportunities for individual creativity.
Children are encouraged to explore possibilities and make decisions about their work rather than simply following identical step-by-step instructions towards the same outcome.
As their technical confidence develops, they are given increasing freedom to select and combine ideas, materials and techniques.
We want a classroom full of children’s artwork to demonstrate shared learning but individual responses.
Art provides children with a powerful opportunity to communicate ideas, experiences and emotions that may not always be easily expressed through words.
Every child’s creative voice is valued.
Our Environment as Inspiration
Our beautiful rural location provides a rich source of artistic inspiration.
Our school grounds, village and surrounding natural environment give children opportunities to observe colour, shape, pattern, texture, light and seasonal change first-hand.
Where appropriate, children use their environment as a starting point for observation, drawing, photography, pattern, colour and creative exploration.
Art encourages children to slow down and notice – to look more carefully at things they might otherwise pass by.
This connection with our surroundings helps children appreciate both the creativity of others and the beauty and detail within the world around them.
Evaluating and Refining
Artists rarely create their final piece immediately.
Children learn that artwork develops through a process of exploration, decision-making, reflection and refinement.
They are encouraged to talk about their work, consider what has been successful and identify what they might develop or change.
As children become older, evaluation becomes increasingly thoughtful and informed by their growing artistic knowledge.
Feedback is used positively, while recognising that artistic decisions are not always about finding one single “correct” answer.
Children learn to make changes because they have a reason for doing so, developing greater ownership of their creative process.
An Inclusive Art Curriculum
Art is for every child at Brill.
We recognise that children bring different experiences, strengths and levels of confidence to creative learning.
Teachers use appropriate adaptations, modelling, resources and equipment to enable all pupils, including those with SEND and additional needs, to participate meaningfully and experience success.
Art can provide particularly powerful opportunities for children to communicate and demonstrate strengths in different ways.
Children who demonstrate secure artistic knowledge and skill are challenged through increasing independence, experimentation, technical sophistication and creative decision-making, rather than simply being expected to produce more work.
We want every child to feel able to say:
“I am an artist.”
Art Across Brill Horizons
Art naturally connects with learning across our Brill Horizons curriculum.
History provides opportunities to explore art as evidence of different times and societies. Geography introduces children to different places, cultures and landscapes. Science encourages close observation of the natural world, while Design and Technology provides opportunities to apply creativity to purposeful design.
RE can introduce children to art, architecture and symbolism connected with different faith traditions, while English provides rich inspiration through stories, poetry and imagination.
These connections enable children to understand that art has always been an important way in which humans record, communicate, question, celebrate and make sense of their world.
IMPACT
By the end of their Brill journey, we want our children to see themselves as confident, curious and creative young artists.
We want children to leave Brill able to:
- use a broad range of artistic techniques with increasing confidence and control;
- select and use materials appropriately;
- draw upon secure knowledge of colour, line, shape, form, pattern and texture;
- observe and record thoughtfully;
- use sketchbooks as a genuine tool for exploration and development;
- generate and develop their own ideas;
- experiment without being afraid to make mistakes;
- make purposeful creative choices;
- discuss and respond thoughtfully to works of art;
- demonstrate knowledge of a diverse range of artists and creative traditions;
- explain some of the influences behind their own work;
- evaluate and refine their ideas; and
- create artwork that increasingly reflects their own artistic choices and individuality.
Most importantly, we want children to leave Brill understanding that creativity belongs to everyone.
We want them to have the confidence to pick up a pencil, paintbrush, camera, piece of clay or material and think:
“What could I do with this?”
We want them to notice beauty and detail, appreciate the creativity of others and have the courage to create something that is distinctly their own.
Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Brill-iant.
