Art and Design

Art and design lessons are delivered weekly by our specialist art teacher. 

Cooks Spinney are in the fortunate position to have a custom-made art studio on site where all art and design lessons are delivered. This is a stimulating space where pupils are free to express themselves artistically and make a mess! 

As a result of our art and design curriculum, pupils will:

• Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture, design, collage and textiles.

• Evaluate and analyse creative work using the language of art and design.

• Know about great artists and designers, and understand the historical and cultural importance of their work.

Why is the teaching of art important for our pupils?

Art is important because it encompasses all the developmental domains in child development. Art lends itself to physical development and the enhancement of fine and gross motor skills. For instance, when pupils work with clay, they fine-tune their muscle control in their fingers. All manipulative movements involved in art help develop hand and finger muscles that are needed to properly hold and use a pencil.

Art activities also help our pupils’ social and emotional development. Children learn about themselves and others through art activities. It really helps them build self-esteem. It’s an opportunity for pupils to make a personal statement about their uniqueness through art while allowing them to express emotions. 

Art also enhances our pupils’ cognitive development; Pupils who have studied a wide range of artists and artwork will have an array of ideas to choose from when creating. Art reflects what pupils know about the world and enables them to choose how to translate those ideas and experiences.

Finally, art is important because it allows our pupils to be creative. Each piece of clay manipulated or each painting is individual to each child and should be treated with awe. 

Who will pupils learn about?

Pupils will get to study a wide range of artists from different backgrounds, cultures and epochs. 

This year, KS1 are studying the work of Gaudi, Henri Matisse, Beatrix Potter, David Hockney, Henry Moore, Fernando Botero and Paul Klee.

KS2 are studying Paul Cezanne, Gaudi, Georgia O'Keefe, Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, Fernando Botero, Henry Moore, Zaha Hadid, Gehry, I.M Pei, Neimayer, Corbusier, and Norman Foster. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR ART AND DESIGN CURRICULUM PLEASE MAKE AN APPOINTMENT with our art and design teacher, Ms Clausen ON 01279 437590