At Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School, we are committed to providing all our children with a wide range of experiences to explore the creative arts, through the medias of art and design, music, drama and dance. We draw upon the richness of opportunities in our local community and wider world, as well as allowing time to develop and nurture individual artistic talents, develop a love of music and their talents as musicians. Whilst at our school children will learn about great artists, musicians, performers architects and designers in history. They will learn the significance and meaning of work and its contextual relevance to help build knowledge of the journey of art and music throughout history. Their experiences include a range of traditional, modern and contemporary art works.

Throughout EYFS and Key Stage 1 these early skills are taught through continuous provision. This approach to early child development encourages children to be active learners, make independent choices, and foster their innate curiosity to explore and play. Art and music development through continuous provision enables children to return to their explorations and consolidate their learning over the course of a day or a more extended period. It also allows children to make choices and initiate play/learning with or without interaction with an adult.

Each Key Stage 2 class explicitly teaches art and music skills every other term, a minimum of three times a year per subject, allowing children time to understand and rehearse key skills which methodically build upon previous skills taught. Opportunities are then planned for throughout the year in other subjects, primarily the creative curriculum or RE, allowing children the chance to apply the skills and techniques at a deeper or mastery level. As pupils progress they should be able to: think critically; develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design knowledge; progress their mastery of artistic techniques; think and express creatively; and develop a more comprehensive understanding of the musical concepts. 

At Our Lady’s we take inspiration from the Plan Bee units of work to develop art skills and understanding, and Kapow scheme of work for music.

Fostering an early interest in the creative arts is important to us as we demonstrate they are universal languages. Being immersed in the creative arts is essential for children’s mental health, creativity, self-esteem, social interaction as well as confidence.