Arts
Art Intent
‘Art has the power to transform, to illuminate, to educate, inspire and motivate.’ Harvey Fierstein.
'Creativity take courage.' Henri Matisse.
Art and Design enrich our creative curriculum as it stimulates creativity and imagination. We believe it is a vital and powerful means of non-verbal communication and expression which enables the child to explore and develop understanding, creativity and imagination through visual, tactile and sensory experiences. It also impacts a child's ability to communicate what they see, feel and think through the use of colour, texture, form and pattern using different materials and processes.
All art projects include the study of varied art and crafts people from across the World, both to impact understanding and also act as inspiration for our own projects. We believe that evaluating the work of other artist and own own art helps us to become better artists. Peer and pupil voice are very important.
The appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts enriches all of our lives and helps us to flourish.
Art Implementation
Art is planned by each class teacher using AccessArt to ensure high quality and progressive outcomes across all year groups and continuity across both sites. All art processes and visual elements are mapped out to ensure children experience a range of outcomes building on previous learning. Art plans are developed from key art skills to be as creative, dynamic and rewarding as possible for ALL children.
We use a "walking gallery" to help us to evaluate the work of others and ourselves.
We teach art using Access Art on a rolling program of mixed year groups:
Progression of art skills across the year groups
Access Art Key Skills Year 1-5
Vocabulary lists from Year 1
Music
‘Where words fail, music speaks’ Hans Christian Andersen
At Beckington and Mells music is a crucial part of our curriculum, fostering joy and creativity in our pupils.
Pupils at both schools have a weekly singing assembly, these assemblies consist of learning a range of songs including hymns, current songs and songs relating to our topics. Similarly classes across both schools use singing and music in their daily routines and to support many different areas of learning, including maths and literacy. Once a year each key stage gets the opportunity to put on a production to parents, this involves learning a variety of songs and exploring different musical instruments to add to the songs, during this we explore volume, tempo and playing to a beat.
Our year 3/4 pupils at both schools have weekly music/instrumental lessons, they are taught by tutors from Somerset music and the children have opportunities to learn different instruments such as brass, ukuleles, violins and recorders. These change on a yearly basis.
In addition to this we also have music teachers that come in and give our pupils instrumental lessons, these currently include piano, violin and guitar. Parents can opt for their child to have these lessons and pay for these, if you are interested please see a member of staff in the office.
Beckington also have a school choir that meet weekly on a Wednesday lunch time and take part in many different events throughout the year, including the Big Sing at The Cheese and Grain and Young Voices in Birmingham.
Through-out the year we have professional musicians come and join us at our schools to support our music education, running workshops with our children this includes Jackdaws and Rocktopus.
Music Rolling Programme
Drama
Drama is used at both Mells and Beckington First schools, as a tool to support many areas of the curriculum.
It is a creative subject which is very versatile and supports the children particularly in their writing by enabling them, through role play and improvising to rehearse their ideas orally before putting them into writing. Furthermore, this enables the children to produce more detailed and imaginative writing from many different character perspectives.
The children at both schools have many opportunities to practise their drama as well as speaking and listening skills throughout the year with their involvement in class assemblies, Harvest Festival and Easter services and especially at Christmas time when they are all involved in a class Christmas production. All of these opportunities enable the children to develop their confidence and self-esteem as well as develop their ability to work together as a team. These opportunities are something that all the staff at both schools feel are important and empowering experiences for all our children.