Medlock Primary School
Embracing Learning, Realising Potential
T: 0161 273 1830
Each child (and class teacher) has their own sketchbook which moves with them through the school. In this, the children are able to develop key skills in line with the National Curriculum and then use these to apply to final pieces of artwork.
Units are planned with a set structure to ensure that the children have opportunities to research the work of artists, craftspeople and designers from a wide range of time periods and cultural backgrounds. They use this research to then experiment with materials in order to develop their artistic knowledge and skills. These are then used to design and make a final piece which is then evaluated.
Communication, including reading and writing, play a key role in the art curriculum at Medlock Primary as opportunities for reading, vocabulary development and writing art built in to the sequence of art lessons.
Year groups have set artists that they will explore as part of their understanding of art history and the impact that artists such William Morris, Frank Hurley, Frida Kahlo and Yinka Shonibare have had on the world.
Alongside this, each year group has a set of paintings that link with other areas of the curriculum that can be used for P4C, as historical sources, writing stimulus or as part of whole class or guided reading.
These discussions involve the pupils commenting on their personal responses to the art works and raising a range of questions.
We actively encourage pupils to visit local art galleries such as the Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester Art Gallery with their families and children have the opportunities to visit these galleries regularly throughout their time at Medlock Primary School.
