Art & Music

At Sharrow School we value exploration, appreciation and understanding of art in all its forms, and we believe that every child has the potential to be creative. Our school community is wonderfully diverse and we therefore have a wealth of culture and creativity to discover and celebrate. We aim to ensure that our children are given lots of opportunities to develop their confidence, individual creativity and skills through carefully planned lessons which examine how art reflects the history, culture and evolution of our global community.

Our art curriculum is closely linked to the termly topics in each year group, enabling the children to explore and practise different skills in a familiar and relevant context. Over the course of their primary education we introduce children to a wide range of artists and art forms, scaffold discussions involving differing opinions and beliefs and learn about the historical and cultural importance of art through the ages. Through practical exploration of different art forms, which include (but are not limited to), drawing and painting, sculpture with various media, physical and vocal expression and graphic design, we aim to equip children with the confidence and tools to design and develop their own works of art and craft. This supports them to develop their independent thinking skills, the confidence to express themselves in a safe and supportive environment, and to understand and respect similarities and differences.

We are very lucky to have links with local artists in the community, giving children opportunities and experiences to work collaboratively and creatively in different ways. We also enjoy immersive art days, both in year groups and as a whole school, with a shared theme or idea – inviting families to join us in celebration of the collective creativity of our children.

“I can” statements – Art

I can …Year 1Year 2Year3Year 4Year 5Year 6
LineI can create lines of different thickness and lengthI can use lines crossing to make simple patternsI can use marks and lines to show texture in my artI can use line to record shapes seen in combination and repetitionI can use line to create negative spaceI can line to create perspective
 I can record my ideas and represent what I see and touchI can record different types of line in the environmentI can use a viewfinder to focus on a specific part of an artefact before drawing itI can use line, shape and dots to represent figure and formsI can use lines to create mood and feeling e.g. short, hard line gives a different feeling to a more flowing oneI can experiment with shading and perspective to create form and texture
ColourI can name the primary and secondary coloursI can create all the secondary colours  I can create tints by adding white   I can create tones by adding blackI can order and create tones from light to dark and in monochrome – black/grey/whiteI can mix all three primaries in varying amounts to make browns / make ‘black’I can create hues of colours  e.g. mix a range of oranges
 I can make collections of the same colour, different shadesI can create and use primary and secondary colours to represent what I see or imagineI can compare and contrast opposite sides of the colour wheelI can mix a colour to match those observedI can use colour to create mood and feelingI can use colour to convey more subtle emotions e.g. hope, fear, suspicion
FormI can manipulate materials to change the formI can use materials to make known objects for a purposeI can make geometric forms and join them together to make more complex forms  I can develop surface patterns and textures on a sculptureI can incorporate form, pattern and texture into my workI can independently select and effectively use relevant processes in order to create successful work
 I can explore and talk about the surface qualities of different objects and materialsI can sort and select materials to make structures using appropriate joining methodsI can combine materials to make patterns and textiles and describe objectsI can analyse and interpret natural and man-made forms of constructionI can use technical vocabulary related to form to explain my workI can investigate, research and test ideas and plans using sketchbooks and other approaches to develop my work
Know about great artists, craft makers and designersI can describe what I can see and give an opinion about the work of an artistI can suggest how artists have used colour, pattern and shapeI can compare the work of different artistsI can explain some of the features of art from different cultures / historical periodsI can research the work of an artist and use their work to replicate a styleI can explain the style of my work and how it has been influenced by a famous artist
Evaluate and analyse creative worksI can ask questions about a piece of artI can talk about similarities and differences between my own and others’ art workI can talk about what I think or feel about my own art work and other peoples workI can describe how my work developedI can modify and improve my work as it progresses so that it turns out how I wanted it to.I can evaluate, interpret and explain my work and that of some significant artists

“I can” statements – Music

I can …Year 1Year 2Year3Year 4Year 5Year 6
Listening and appraisingI can say whether I like or dislike a piece of musicI can listen out for particular things when listening to musicI can use musical words to describe a piece of music and compositionsI can identify and describe the different styles of musicI can describe, compare and evaluate music using musical vocabularyI can analyse different pieces of music and talk about my preferences
 I can respond to different moods in musicI can say how a piece of music makes me feel and use the word ‘tempo’ appropriatelyI can use musical words to describe what I like and do not like about a piece of musicI can talk about the style of different types of music and my preferencesI can contrast the work of composers and explain my preferencesI can compare and contrast different composers from different times or different styles
CompositionI can make a sequence of sounds on unturned instrumentsI can use symbols to represent soundsI can make connections between notations and musical sounds – crotchets, quaversI can use notation to record compositions in a small group or on my ownI can use notation to record my compositions and play them backI can use a variety of different musical devices in my composition
 I can choose sounds to represent different thingsI can choose sounds which create an effectI can combine different sounds to create a specific mood or feelingI can explain why silence is often needed in music and explain what effect it hasI can change sounds or organise them differently to change the effectI can suggest improvements to my own work and that of others
RhythmI can clap a steady pulseI can repeat short rhythmic and melodic patternsI can play simple rhythmic patterns on an instrumentI can create 2 bar repeated rhythmic patterns on an instrumentI can perform a simple part rhythmicallyI can improvise within a group using melodic and rhythmic phrases
 I can clap short rhythmic patternsI can sing or clap increasing and decreasing tempoI can perform simple patterns and accompaniments keeping a steady pulseI can create 4 bar repeated rhythmic patterns on an instrumentI can play a rhythm as part of a groupI can make up a rhythm with a group and then add a tune to it
PerformanceI can use my voice to speak, sing and chantI can sing and follow a melodyI can sing a tune with expressionI can sing songs from memory with accurate pitchI can breathe in the correct place when singingI can sing in harmony, confidently and accurately
 I can use instruments to performI can play clear note on instrumentsI can play a tuned instrument with accuracy and controlI can play an instrument as part of a performanceI can maintain my part whilst others are performing their partI can take the lead in a performance stopping and starting the group