Expressive Arts in LPS - Autumn Term Monitoring

During Review Week this term, the PVG and AoLE Leader monitored Expressive Arts in LPS by listening to learners, speaking to staff, looking at the LPS website and looking at pupil’s work. 

We identified the following strengths related to our Action Plan:

The teaching and learning of Expressive Arts is being linked very well to the LPS New Curriculum topics. All children in LPS are continuing to develop a wide variety of skills and knowledge whilst expressing their creativity and deepening their imagination. In Play, Learn and Grow, children drew self portraits of when they were babies. In LPS Happy Healthy Helpers, children sang a happy song. They also drew and painted portraits of Welsh heroes, Betsi Cadwaladr and Aneurin Bevan. In Green Fingers, children created art using leaves and other nature items, focusing on colour and shape. In Wales, Wars and Weddings, children drew portraits of King Henry VIII using pencils. In The Black Gold of Wales, children created artwork used charcoal, based on the work of Josef Hermann. They also drew images of Victorian schools and schools today, and compared them. In Wales at War, children drew propaganda posters using pencils and they sketched portraits of famous war leaders. Also, they listened and responded to WW2 music. Partaking in Expressive Arts activities that are linked to these rich themes and topics helps children to make connections with their work and increases their interest in the topic.

There has been an improvement in drama being implemented in LPS. Children across the school have been using playscripts to rehearse for the LPS Christmas Productions. In LPS Happy Healthy Helpers, children acted out different scenes to show how they help others. In Green Fingers, children developed drama skills linking to their class novel. In Fantasia, children carried out freeze frames and created body movements of rainforest animals. Children across both school phases have read playscripts during their group reading sessions. Drama gives children opportunities to express themselves, deal with emotions and feelings in a supportive environment, and to generate new knowledge and transferable skills.

We have been very lucky to be working in collaboration with Mrs Northcott, an art teacher from Pontarddulais Comprehensive School. She has been working with Year 5 and Year 6 so far this year. The children have developed many new artistic skills this term. They have done mark-making, created unusual face shapes, silhouettes, bug drawings, Picasso drawings, portraits and continuous line drawings. With LPS and Bont Comp working together, we are providing our children with a better learning experience, which positively impacts pupil achievement.  

Our next steps are:

To continue to review new projects throughout the school to ensure progression and coverage of the Expressive Arts Statements of What Matters.

To work collaboratively with Mrs Rachel Tregembo, the head of Expressive Arts in Pontarddulais Comprehensive, to provide drama workshops and resources for KS2. 

To work on a Welsh artists whole school display and incorporate a Welsh artist / musician / actor of the month.