'Creativity is contagious, pass it on.'

Albert Einstein

Skills in the Arts enhance life-long learning, nurture enjoyment of creativity and develop skills which can be transferred across the curriculum. In providing a high-quality art education, we give children the tools to express themselves individually, the confidence to try something new and the opportunities to contribute to other people’s enjoyment through their final piece of artwork.

Throughout the art and design curriculum, we introduce the children to a range of world artists and art styles such as sculptors, photographers, illustrators, contemporary artists and classic artists.  The children investigate each style, the media used and interpret what they think the painting is trying to express and how the art makes them feel. Children are inspired to explore the new skills and techniques to create work in similar styles but which also reflect their own creativity.

We have designed our art curriculum to allow children to build upon existing skills to grow in confidence in using different techniques.  Our aim is for all children to see themselves as artists, to have confidence in their own ability and awareness that with plenty of practice and willingness to listen to feedback, they can continually improve and produce work of a high standard.

During their time at St Dunstan’s, children will have the opportunity to experience and develop skills in many types of art and design work, including:

• drawing
• collage
• sewing and textiles
• printing
• painting
• clay
• sculpture

We encourage all children to respond to art work: to make comments about how the art makes them feel; to critique the style and techniques utilised; and to make comparisons between other artists’ styles or art works. We then integrate this art appreciation into the classroom, modelling for the children how to give and receive critical feedback in order to help them consider ways to improve their artistic skills.

Each year we hold an Arts week with a different theme to showcase the high quality outcomes.