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Longlevens Primary Experience

Longlevens Infant & Longlevens Junior Schools

Creative Arts Policy

This policy has been constructed as a shared document between the two schools. It reflects the shared vision and importance placed upon the value of creative arts in both settings.

January 2012

Rationale

We believe that the Arts inspire all children to work with expression, imagination and creativity. Through the Arts, we are able to promote self esteem, spiritual and emotional development. All children, regardless of prior experiences or abilities, will thrive in an environment that encourages them to observe the world around them, with all its diversities; thereby developing a positive personal response.

Through art and design, music, dance, drama and creative writing, children become involved in shaping their own lives. They are able to develop critical abilities and associated life skills; which are crucial to their future development and understanding of their own and others cultural heritage.

‘in English you never quite get there, with languages perhaps you do if you learn how to speak them, the oral side. But this is what I think the educational professionals call the ‘intelligence of feeling’; it was partly about emotional and personal development and partly about the intelligence of knowing I could do it’

Prof. Sir Christopher Frayling Royal College of Art

Key Aims

Provide all our pupils with arts opportunities that excite, engage and motivate them to become lifelong learners.

  • Provide a minimum of 12% of curriculum time dedicated to the arts including art and design, dance, drama and music at Key Stages 1 and 2.
  • Provide a minimum of one extra-curricular arts activity for Year 2 children
  • Provide a minimum of three extra-curricular arts activities for all children at Key Stage 2

Use the Creative Arts as a foundation upon which both school’s curriculum is based.

  • Both fulfil National Curriculum Arts skills and utilise the Arts as a vehicle to explore National Curriculum Objectives in other curriculum areas, in a creative way.

Raise self esteem through providing a broad and balanced arts education in curriculum time, as well as in out of hours and extended arts opportunities

  • Establish and build on contacts/ partnerships within commerce and industry in our local community
  • Plan programmes and other events with partner schools to sustain and increase opportunities for all
  • Provide opportunities for the wider community of school; inc staff, governors, parents and other local schools/ community groups- eg. Invitations to performances, workshops, concerts and exhibitions

Create a vibrant and stimulating environment that provides a visual, tactile and sensory experience

  • Children’s achievements are constantly celebrated throughout the school, to a high standard
  • Ensure our arts facilities and resources are of the highest quality and accessible to all children, including those who have special needs, are vulnerable or hard to reach

Understand and appreciate a range of different cultures within school and further afield, as an essential element of their preparation for life

  • Use specialist arts teachers or if necessary, provide additional support for non-specialists through CPD and arts partnerships
  • Provide children with opportunities to experience the work of professional artists through visits to arts organisations, workshops with artists and other partnerships at least three times during each key stage
  • Have in place planned opportunities provided by the arts for children to know and celebrate the range of world cultures that are reflected in the arts through local, regional, national and international sources

Overcome barriers to learning, by thinking and intervening in a creative way

  • Ensure all teachers and support staff have opportunities for professional development in the arts that inspires their own creativity and keeps them abreast with innovation in the arts, as well as developments in wider education
  • Provide opportunities for our children to influence what is included in our provision in the arts (eg through school council, which meets each week)
  • Provide our children with access to opportunities that celebrate their achievements in the arts

Develop and recognise talent

  • Provide opportunities within class or specialist groups, for more able pupils to experiment and extend their talents
  • Recognition of artistic achievements through a postcard/ certificate sent home

Resources

All year groups are given the opportunity to work in the schools’ well resourced art rooms, which can also be used by visiting artists.

Children are given the opportunity to work with a wide range of 2D and 3D materials and processed, including textiles, printing, clay, painting and ICT programmes. The majority of tools, materials and equipment are stored safely in the art room. Basic art materials are stored in the classrooms, these include; paint, brushes, sketchbooks, pastels and charcoal. During Art and Design activities, classrooms are organised so children have safe and free access to a range of appropriate materials.

To ensure that children develop an understanding of the correct use of the equipment, teachers should have a sound understanding of equipment and materials before they are introduced into the classroom. Through advice and example, children are encouraged to handle equipment safely with confidence, selecting appropriate tools for materials and returning it to the correct place after use. The introduction of specific experiences is always planned for.

On occasions, classrooms may be reorganised to allow for specific areas for specific activities, such as cutting or use of adhesives, following health and Safety guidelines. Risk assessment is the responsibility of the class teacher.

Teaching methods allow children to explore ideas individually, as a group or a whole class. Children are provided with opportunities to evaluate their own and other people’s work in a constructive way. Children are encouraged to build on previous experience, develop skills in a range of appropriate materials and techniques and where appropriate, to use knowledge gained in other subjects.

Assessment and Monitoring

The Creative Arts Team together with members of The Senior Leadership Team will monitor teachers planning and timetables to ensure that children in each class have their entitlement to arts provision, observe lessons and activities to ensure quality. This will include:

  • Monitoring planning
  • Work sampling
  • Learning walks
  • Teacher discussions
  • Observing children working individually and within a group
  • Pupil conferencing
  • Collect evidence from different parts of the process

The City of Gloucester as a Resource

We regularly explore opportunities to embrace exhibitions, concerts, performances and other arts events taking place in our local community.

Gloucester plays host to a wealth of artists, architecture and public art to be found in the street, magnificent cathedral, historic docklands, city museums and local galleries- Nature in Art and Cheltenham Art Gallery. In addition to this, at times we are able to work alongside local artists living amongst the community of Longlevens.

This policy was agreed and ratified by both governing bodies (date TBC)

This policy will be reviewed in January 2015

Karen Hamblin (LIS) & Sarah Baker (LJS) January 2012