“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”

Henry Ward Beecher

At Weston Turville CE school, we firmly believe that art is a key part of a child’s development. Art stimulates creativity, breeds imagination and prompts inventiveness. The skills, concepts and knowledge gained through access to quality art lessons allows children to express their responses to different ideas and experiences, firing their imagination, and developing them as a person. It provides both a voice and an escape.

The techniques learnt in art lessons provides children with a new way to communicate the things that they see, feel or think. It is our aim to design art lessons that allow children to freely experiment with their ideas, playing with the use of colour, texture, form and pattern while using a range of materials and processes. Children are supported in self-evaluation, helping them, to see criticism as a tool to improve and building resilience.

Our versatile natural environment is our most important resource, and used wherever possible in our art curriculum. Our playgrounds, field and nature reserve are used to help children develop an understanding of natural light, as well as providing different resources to use within artwork.

Over their time at Weston Turville, children will develop a sketchbook that they will take up through the school with them. These sketchbooks provide children with the opportunity to develop skills in a range of different mediums, and to see with their own eyes how their journey as an artist as they pass through the school, allowing them to take pride in their achievements and progression. With this principle in mind, our curriculum is designed to allow children to revisit and further develop different skills and principles over their seven years here.

The benefits of art of far reaching, and as such as utilised beyond specific art lesson. Art is utilised across the curriculum in different ways, and is offered through lunchtime clubs such as colouring club. Art can help children experience learning in different ways, reaching those individuals that may find traditional academic practices such as reading and writing challenging.

To help children foster a love of creativity and artistry, we hold a yearly creative arts week, culminating with a whole school exhibition. This allows children to experience art freely without the confines of a set curriculum, and to share their accomplishments with their families, offering them the chance to talk about their artwork with people that they love and giving them a sense of pride.

Please see our Creative Arts policy below.