Art

At Dale Hall we believe every child is an artist and has the ability to express themselves through art. Too often, in my experience, children become disillusioned as they grow older and start to compare their work with others. Sometimes, by the time they reach year 3 they already have a pre conceived idea that they 'cannot draw' and therefore they are not any good at Art. But Art is SO much more than drawing and representing perfectly what we see in front of us.

Rothko, a very famous artist taught that everyone can make art—even those without innate talent or professional training. Just as children can quickly pick up stories or songs, they can easily turn their observations and imaginings into art. For Rothko, art was all about expression—transforming one’s emotions into visual experiences that everyone can understand.

And children do this naturally. “These children have ideas, often fine ones, and they express them vividly and beautifully, so that they make us feel what they feel,” he writes. “Hence their efforts are intrinsically works of art.”

We will strive to make sure all our children at Dale Hall are given the chance to express their ideas and value their efforts so they can appreciate the artist within them.

Mrs Dedicoat

Art Co-ordinator

Mrs Dedicoat

Art Leader

Art continues to be a huge part of my life and my love for this subject started at Primary school. I loved how I could express my ideas and thoughts but also become inspired by other peoples imagination and ideas. I went on to study art for A-level and visited Paris as part of my course. Here I discovered the many galleries, sculptures and the unusual and inspirational architecture the city had to offer. I still love to visit galleries and go to exhibitions but gain just as much pleasure from seeing the children's art develop as they move through the school.

The study of ethnically diverse artists is now becoming embedded in our curriculum. The art and artists we choose to study are making all children feel represented, enabling them to explore themes of identity and heritage. It is key that our art and design curriculum continues to be relevant to the world we’re living in and that it makes a positive contribution to children’s future perception of that world and their place within it.

Every child from Year 1 to Year 6 has a sketchbook which is kept close to hand whenever we are creating, learning and developing new ideas, both in the art room and within classrooms. The sketchbook does not follow the school's presentation or marking policy; we feel very strongly that it belongs to the child. It's not just a book - it is a space where children can freely express, create, develop and learn, often with limited guidance from the teacher. The sketchbook should be at the centre of their creativity

At Dale Hall we use our sketch books to:

Gathering inspiration
Exploring art media
Developing understanding
Recording responses
Reviewing artwork
Making modifications
Evaluating