Visual Arts Policy
The Visual Arts in Croom National School should be a joyful and happy experience of the various processes involved with a particular emphasis on exploration, experimentation and expression as laid down in the Revised Curriculum 1999. We recognize the wonderful work that has been done over the years by staff members both past and present to cultivate the aesthetic development of the children in the school.
Date of Policy
17/11/00
By whom was the policy drawn up?
The staff of the school formulated the policy using:
Stimulus for the development of a Policy
The introduction of the revised curriculum.
Aims of Visual Arts Policy:
The aims of the visual arts curriculum are
Visual Awareness
Children will be helped to explore line, shape, colour, tone, form, texture, pattern and space in the Natural Environment, Built Environment and Human Environment through:
Implementation
The programme will be implemented under the various strand headings of (a) drawing (b) paint and colour (c) print (d) clay (e) construction and (f) fabric and fibre as outlined in the curriculum documents under the Visual Arts within the limits and constraints of facilities, funding and resources available at any given time.
Language
As in every area of the curriculum language plays a vital role in the teaching and learning process and will be particularly important to the child to enable him/her to be stimulated to express his/her ideas in a visual way and later to be able to discuss his/her work and the work of others and to be able to talk about art in a meaningful way for the child.
Visual Arts and Special Needs
The visual arts will be part of a multi sensory approach to the teaching of language, reading and writing in the resource class.
Information & Communication Technology
Every effort will be made to use information & communications technology within the school to enhance the child’s understanding & experience of art.
Outside Supports
Local artists and art agencies will be used from time to time to enhance the work of the visual arts programme within the school. Local artists that might be considered:
Assessment
The school will explore various systems and tools for assessment in the early years after the introduction of the visual arts revised programme, learning from the experience of colleagues in other schools and the advice of D.E.S. officials and experts in the field to ensure a system of best practice bearing in mind that assessment or the perceived need for same never gets in the way of the child’s enjoyment of art and engaging the making of art.
Resources
It is the intention of the school to build a stock of visual materials including:
Date of Policy
17/11/00
By whom was the policy drawn up?
The staff of the school formulated the policy using:
- the curriculum guidelines
- the experience gained at the inservice days
- the needs of the pupils
- the enthusiasm and experience of the staff
Stimulus for the development of a Policy
The introduction of the revised curriculum.
Aims of Visual Arts Policy:
The aims of the visual arts curriculum are
- to help the child develop sensitivity to the visual, spatial and tactile world, and to provide for aesthetic experience
- to help the child express ideas, feelings and experiences in visual and tactile formats
- o enable the child to have enjoyable and purposeful experiences of different art media and to have opportunities to explore, experiment, imagine, design, invent and communicate with different art materials
- to promote the child’s understanding of and personal response to the creative processes involved in making two and three-dimensional art
- to enable the child to develop the skills and techniques necessary for expression, inventiveness and individuality
- to enable the child to experience the excitement and fulfillment of creativity and the achievement of potential through art activities
- to foster sensitivity towards and enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts
- to provide opportunities for the child to explore how the work of artisits and craftspeople might relate to his/her own work
Visual Awareness
Children will be helped to explore line, shape, colour, tone, form, texture, pattern and space in the Natural Environment, Built Environment and Human Environment through:
- the promotion of visual awareness in classrooms, corridors and offices
- observing nature e.g. trees through the seasons, cloud formations, hills, mountains, rivers etc.,
Implementation
The programme will be implemented under the various strand headings of (a) drawing (b) paint and colour (c) print (d) clay (e) construction and (f) fabric and fibre as outlined in the curriculum documents under the Visual Arts within the limits and constraints of facilities, funding and resources available at any given time.
Language
As in every area of the curriculum language plays a vital role in the teaching and learning process and will be particularly important to the child to enable him/her to be stimulated to express his/her ideas in a visual way and later to be able to discuss his/her work and the work of others and to be able to talk about art in a meaningful way for the child.
Visual Arts and Special Needs
The visual arts will be part of a multi sensory approach to the teaching of language, reading and writing in the resource class.
Information & Communication Technology
Every effort will be made to use information & communications technology within the school to enhance the child’s understanding & experience of art.
Outside Supports
Local artists and art agencies will be used from time to time to enhance the work of the visual arts programme within the school. Local artists that might be considered:
- Eamon O’Shea, former deputy principal – wood carving and drawing
- Peter Lynch – Sculpture & Painting
- The Barrett Sisters – Painting
- Artist-in-Residence Schemes – County Arts Development Officer, Limerick County Council.
Assessment
The school will explore various systems and tools for assessment in the early years after the introduction of the visual arts revised programme, learning from the experience of colleagues in other schools and the advice of D.E.S. officials and experts in the field to ensure a system of best practice bearing in mind that assessment or the perceived need for same never gets in the way of the child’s enjoyment of art and engaging the making of art.
Resources
It is the intention of the school to build a stock of visual materials including:
- Collections of pictures – Art Kit
- Books on Art and Artists
- Films/slides on art
- ICT Software programmes
- Camera
- Paint/Draw Programmes
- Scanner
- Photocopier
- Portfolios of a children’s work comprising of samples over a given year or years may form part of an assessment.
