Leader: Mrs Cockman

At Greenfields we aim to provide a broad, balanced and progressive Arts curriculum. The school’s aim is to enable each child to reach their full potential in Art, through investigation and making, research and the development of skills and through the evaluation of their own artwork and that made by others.

To achieve that aim, the school plans a range of activities in art which provide opportunities for pupils to:

• Record responses to experience and imagination and to observations of the natural and made environment
• Gather resources and materials, using them to stimulate and develop ideas
• Explore and use two and three dimensional media, working on a variety of scales
• Review and modify their work as it progresses
• Develop understanding of the work of artists, craftspeople and designers from a range of times and cultures and apply this to their work
• Respond to and evaluate art, craft and design, including their own and the work of others.

Each year all of our children experience a wide range of arts and culture based activities both in and outside the classroom. This could be through reflection, visits and visiting artists. We have recently extended our reflection session where parents can visit the school and create crafts with the children. This gives children the opportunity to explore a variety of materials and ways of joining them in different ways.

Educational visits are part of our curriculum from nursery onwards and these allow children to consolidate learning and improve their knowledge, skills and understanding of art.   Teaching through the Arts allows all children to experience success regardless of ability, background or gender.

Visits to local theatres, galleries, museums etc. will involve children in activities that will encourage children, staff and families to engage in the arts/culture opportunities on offer in the region. Visits to museums and places of interest have taken place, emphasising the importance of providing stimulating, meaningful, hands-on cultural activities for everyone.

We have the Artsmark gold award which gives us the opportunity to share practices between like-minded schools within the region so that we can be inspired, learn from each other, further improve our practice and make a positive contribution to the Arts within all the schools participating.   By working alongside the partner schools and utilising the external expertise on offer from Culture Bridge North East, North Tyneside Learning Trust (music and art hub), local museums and galleries, other local arts and culture provider’s schools etc. we will all be able to make a positive impact on the already vibrant culture of the North East.

The Art and Design Programmes of Study can be found on this external link