Art

What does Art look like at St Paul's?

At St Paul’s we value art as an opportunity for all pupils to develop their curiosity and learn new ways to express themselves in a creative way. Our aim is that children in our school are confident artists who revel in the plentiful opportunities to develop their artistic proficiency in various skills such as sculpture, drawing and painting. As well as developing practical skills, children also develop their cultural capital by learning about great artists throughout history. This learning inspires and influences the artwork that the children produce.

All of the fantastic artwork the children produce is recorded into sketchbooks. This helps both the teachers and the children to see their progress and development, as well as enabling each child to think and work like an artist.

Art is taught in Autumn 1, Spring 1 and Summer 1 half-terms. We use the Grammarsaurus art scheme to support the planning and teaching of art at St Paul's. This scheme splits the art teaching throughout the year into three units: monochromatic art, chromatic art and sculpture.

Monochromatic art:

This type artwork consists of just one colour to create depth and contrast. At St Paul's we explore monochromatic artwork through drawing, taking inspiration from monochromatic artists and illustrators.

Chromatic art:

This type of artwork consists of using many colours to create art that is rich in variety, brightness and contrast. We explore chromatic art-making using painting and drawing with pastels, taking inspiration from chromatic painters and illustrators.

Sculpture:

This type of artwork is three-dimensional, which involves shaping materials like clay into art objects. We use sculpture artists and statues throughout history to inspire our sculpture making.

Enrichment activities

At St Paul's, we enrich children with opportunity to explore art beyond just the art curriculum. Children are provided with opportunities to be creative across other subjects, particularly in our RE lessons or Celebration of the Word, where children will visually express their thoughts, feelings and reflections about Catholic faith.

Year 6 will soon be visiting the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester. They will be learning all about animation, exploring the gallery and learning how to use the game Minecraft to create visual artwork.

Support for parents

We relish every opportunity for children to continue exploring their creativity and art-making at home. We believe creativity flourishes when home and school work together. As parents, you play a vital role in encouraging your child’s artistic development, and you don’t need specialist knowledge to make a big impact. Here are some simple ways you can help:

• Talk about art in everyday life: Notice colours in nature, patterns in buildings, or shapes in household objects. Ask questions like, “What colours do you see in the sunset?”

• Give them the tools to create: A sketchbook, pencils, and crayons can spark hours of creativity. Recycled items like cardboard boxes or bottle tops are great for craft projects.

• Visit local galleries or museums: The Whitworth and Manchester Art Gallery offer free entry and fantastic, child-friendly activities. Discuss what your child likes about the artworks they see.

• Celebrate creativity at home: Display their artwork on the fridge or create a mini gallery wall. This celebrates their creativity and helps them feel like artists.

• Encourage imaginative play: Activities like making puppets, designing costumes, or creating storyboards help children express ideas visually.

For more detailed information about the curriculum in each year group, please visit our Curriculum at St. Paul's page.