At Coleridge, we place the arts at the heart of our curriculum, knowing that in doing so, we allow all children to thrive at school, not just those who achieve academically.
Throughout our curriculum, we give the utmost priority to children’s emotional wellbeing; we recognise that the arts provide a constructive outlet for stress and anxiety, whilst also helping to develop social skills and boost confidence, and therefore ensure it is a prominent part of what we offer.
We believe wholeheartedly that our full and rich art curriculum enables children to develop their individuality and sense of self, and that the creativity, problem solving and freedom of thinking involved also increases their cognitive ability. Furthermore, by being encouraged to constructively critique their own and other artists’ work, they learn to respect themselves and each other.
Our art curriculum is taught in Years 1-6, and planned for in the EYFS, by our specialist art teachers, and all classes receive a full morning or afternoon of this expert art provision every other week, in one of our dedicated art rooms.
From the outset, children are taught the technical skills and knowledge required to explore their imagination, generate and create original ideas, and make considered judgements about their own work, as well as that of others. During their time at Coleridge, they will learn how to draw, paint, print, sculpt, collage and use textiles to invent and create their own varied works of art using a range of materials. In doing so, they will explore the formal elements – shape, line, pattern, colour, form, tone, space and texture. All topics are linked to other areas of the curriculum, such as the Ancient Greeks in History, Coastal Areas in Geography, and Space in Science.
Another important aspect of our art curriculum is that it provides children with the opportunity to explore the world around them, to learn about and appreciate their own cultural heritage and that of others, and to study the work of a range of artists, both contemporary and historical.
Highlights of the school arts year include art exhibitions (both in and outside of school), the whole school play every December, and the wealth of arts-based clubs on offer, including a nurture group for those children most in need.