Art & Design
About
As with the other national curriculum subjects there are four strands to support high quality subject knowledge:
National curriculum importance statements
Authentic sources
Subject associations
Twitter communities
To help us get our bearings, it is worth quoting the purpose of Art and Design from national curriculum programme of study: Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils: produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques; evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design; know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.
Once the importance statements have been revisited, it is helpful for subject leaders and coordinators to discuss and agree with colleagues, the reason why their subject, in this case art, is important for the pupils in their school. One way of doing this, is to draw on a quote, in this case from Don Miguel Ruiz: ‘Every human is an artist.’ This kind of prompt allows us to formulate our way of stating the importance of the subject. We might agree or disagree with such a statement and in doing so come to a form of words which expresses our view of the importance of this subject, in this school. This moves us away from the territory of ‘we teach this subject because of the SATS or GCSEs’. While the external tests and exams are important, they are not the totality of the subject.
Professional Communities
Subject associations are important because at the heart of their work is curriculum thinking, development and resources. The subject association for art is the National Society for Education in Art and Design and it should be the case that any member of staff with responsibility for a subject should be a member of the relevant subject association, and this should be paid for by the school.
Twitter subject communities are important for the development of subject knowledge, because it is here that there are lively debates about what to teach, how to teach and the kinds of resources that are helpful. For DT it is worth following the NSEAD on Twitter and the hashtags #art #artteacher #artsketchbook #artgcse The Twitter Art and Design community is a space for ongoing discussions about the subject. The hashtag is #artteachers and here it is possible to engage with other teachers, thinkers and academics.
Myatt & Co Films
Click on the button below to take you to films on Art & Design on the Myatt & Co website