Grove Street Primary School Arts Policy
Mission Statement
“Where Learners Grow”
At Grove Street Primary School we believe that learners should grow in all areas of the curriculum. This
policy outlines the expectations for learning within the foundation subject of art. We fully embrace the
principles of Every Child Matters and, with everyone in our learning community, work creatively and
consistently together to deliver our vision.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is:
 To provide a wide ranging high quality arts experience to children of all backgrounds and abilities.
 To provide a range of activities within the curriculum which allows all children to participate,
achieve and enjoy.
 To provide a varied extra-curricular programme which allows all children to participate, achieve and
enjoy.
 To provide a range of activities and extra-curricular activities to allow gifted and talented children
to further their skills development.
 To share good practice and support improvements in whole school performance.
 To promote understanding of art forms from a wide range of different languages and cultures.
 To support teaching and learning in cross-curricular activities.
 To promote children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
A definition of Art
Art at Grove Street Primary School focuses on drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, experimenting with
colour, printing and textiles. This can also includes other art forms such as film, digital media, creative
writing, circus skills, etc. These art forms can be taught as separate subjects or can be included in other
curriculum subjects.
A definition of Dance
Dance at Grove Street enables children to express themselves creatively and to communicate with others
effectively. Through dance, children think about how to use movement to explore and communicate ideas,
and their own feelings and thoughts. They begin to develop an awareness of historical and cultural origins
of dance.
A definition of Music
Music at Grove Street focuses on the art of composing or performing music. It encourages social
interaction through listening, composing and performing. It is a powerful and unique form of
communication that can change the way children, feel, think and act. We provide opportunities for all
children to create, play, perform and enjoy music, to develop the skills to appreciate a wide variety of
musical forms and to begin to make judgements about the quality of music.
A definition of Drama
Drama enables children to apply their own imaginations and draw on their own personal experiences.
Their increasing knowledge and understanding of drama work enables them to effectively shape, express
and share their ideas, feelings and responses. Drama allows children to explore the world of people from
other places, times and cultures, and to examine differences and similarities with their own environment.
Curriculum Expectations
To comply with the Artsmark criteria, we expect that 12% of curriculum time should be given to the arts.
No less than 2% should be spent on three of the four key art forms and no less than 1.5% in one art form.
The total 12% can also include other art forms such as listed above. These can be included in other
curriculum subjects, collapsed time tables for an art week and even rehearsals for school performances.
The Arts in our School
The staff and governing body are aware of the importance of the four main art forms and the role they
play within the curriculum. These art forms are included through discreet learning opportunities to support
the cross curricular ethos of the school. They encourage creativity and imagination and allow children to
develop the skills to become creative thinkers as well as creative learners. Children develop the confidence
to take risks and learn independently through engagement.
Health and Safety
When working with tools, equipment and materials, practical activities and in different environments
including those that are unfamiliar, children should be taught
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About hazards, risks and risk control
To recognise hazards, assess consequent risks and take steps to control the risk to themselves and
others.
To manage their environment to ensure health and safety of themselves and others.
To explain the steps they take to control risks.
Assessment, Recording and Reporting
Ongoing assessment throughout the school is established through sketch books which contain examples of
children’s work. A variety of tasks are carried out over the Key Stages which address different techniques.
Criteria for sketch books are attached to the back of this policy. Assessment in drama and music will take
the form of classroom observation whilst children are devising, performing or adapting their pieces in
order to determine the quality of their work and to what extent they are meeting learning outcomes. It
will also take the form of questioning, during and after the session, in order to ascertain their knowledge
and understanding of a concept. Assessments in dance are made on the basis of evidence. A variety of
strategies may be used to collect evidence on achievement. This can be achieved by observing children
performing dance sequences, observing the role they play during the composition stages and peer and self
assessment.
ICT
Specific programmes are available to each year group to support the children’s learning. The Interactive
Whiteboards are used to display visual examples of work, including the children’s own and that of other
artists. Sample folders are being developed in the shared documents which so far include Kandisnky,
Morris and Pollack among others. Cameras can be used to record art work, drama lessons or to create
short stories and animations. Microphones can be used to record stories, singing or music activities. There
are many music and art apps available to download onto the ipads and ipods within the school.
Working with Artists and Organisations
We believe that links with the local community are an important aspect of school life. Therefore we
endeavour to establish relationships with local artists and organisations who can support the teaching and
learning of the arts within our school. In return we will support these organisations with their projects by
participating in local events and supporting their work as needed.
Extra Curricular Activities at Grove Street
We endeavour to provide our children with a range of extra-curricular activities which can be accessed at
lunch times or after school.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
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Inclusion – providing effective learning for all children.
Setting suitable learning challenges.
Responding to the diverse learning needs of all children.
Overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of children.
Supporting and extending the learning of Gifted and Talented children as needed.
Policy Completed January 2015
By S. McLeod