Expressive Arts
Expressive Arts
You can have a look at the Expressive Arts gallery here.
Ethos
At Marlcliffe Primary we believe that Expressive Arts education means creating a creative and visual thinker. Developing visual processing and a specific set of thinking skills can support other areas of learning. All children need a broad and balanced education which includes Arts education, in order to prepare them for a future in our society. Without the Arts our world would be a much blander and less colourful place! The UK’s creative industries are now worth £84.1 billion per year to the UK economy.
In terms of a child’s education, Expressive Arts encourage a child’s use of imagination and creativity. They can use their experiences and transform them through the Arts, using their previous knowledge, memories and ideas. Expressive Arts allow children to make new connections and explore their imagination.
Expressive Arts also helps a child to express their feelings, communicating both to themselves and others. This could be seen as therapeutic or for more conceptual purposes, expressing their concerns and ideas.
Creating the Arts encourages us to think about and understand the world visually, instead of being restricted to words. Visual thinking helps children learn other subjects and is a skill used in a wide variety of professions, including the Sciences as well as the Arts.
It also children to explore and test out ideas with their pictures, developing problem solving (such as how to represent a 3D object in 2D form; which information to include and which to leave out of a picture etc.). This in turn develops concentration and tenacity.
Expressive Arts education encourages children to observe much more closely, and makes them better observers of detail in the world around them.
Finally, creativity within the Expressive Art helps foster educational independence and also ownership of something that is entirely theirs, without it having to be judged by others.
Opportunities
Each year Marlcliffe holds a whole school Expressive Arts event, usually at the end of the summer term. Activities include Art, D.T., Music, Drama and Dance.
Indeed, many links are made with the local community, such as Young Voices (choir), Sheffield Young Artist of the year, local sports coaching and 'Active Archie' (local sports events).
All Year Four children are given free tuition in the clarinet, and can carry these lessons on in future years if they so wish.
Pupil Premium children are offered extra sporting opportunites, free music tuition and extra swimming coaching.
Curriculum
Art and Design
Three units delivered per year (six per two-year cycle), usually interchangeable with Design Technology. These are connected to the topic.
Each year, the following must be covered in depth: drawing, painting, 3D (sculpture), printing and collage. In addition, the study of a famous artist must be included in at least one of the units.
The units are usually delivered weekly during three half terms (approximately one hour per week) or blocked (approximately five hours or one day).
Units cover all the requirements of the National Curriculum over the two-year cycle.
Design Technology
Three units delivered per year (six per two-year cycle). These are connected to the topic.
Each year, the following must be covered in depth: textiles, construction, mechanics and electricals (the latter is KS2 only). In addition, cooking and nutrition must be included. This can be a short, blocked unit, which may have cross-curricular links to the half-termly topic.
The units are usually delivered weekly during three half terms (approximately one hour per week) or blocked (approximately five hours or one day).
Units cover all the requirements of the National Curriculum over the two-year cycle.
Music
Six units delivered per year (twelve per two-year cycle), connected to the topic wherever possible.
The units are usually delivered every two weeks (approximately one hour), interchangeable with another subject. In addition, music for Christmas and/or summer performances are blocked and replace the prescribed unit for that half term.
The units are taken from the Charanga scheme and other sources.
Units cover all the requirements of the National Curriculum over the two-year cycle.
All Year Four children learn the clarinet for forty-five minutes a week for the whole year.
Physical Education
Twelve units delivered per year (twenty-four per two-year cycle).
Two units are usually delivered per half term: one based on skills and games and one dance, gymnastics, or outdoor and adventurous activities. Dance is connected to the topic wherever possible. There are two one-hour P.E. lessons per week.
The units of work are taken from the Val Sabin Games, Gymnastics and Athletics scheme along with the I-Moves Dance scheme. In addition, all Year Four children attend a weekly swimming lesson at the Hillsborough Sports Centre once a week for 18 weeks.
Units cover all the requirements of the National Curriculum over the two-year cycle.