Expressive Arts in LPS - Autumn Term Monitoring

During our LPS Review Fortnight, during the Autumn term, members of the Creative Crew Pupil Voice Group and the AoLE leader undertook workbook looks. The AoLE leader also completed Learning Experience Sampling to provide an overview of Expressive Arts in LPS for pupils at each Progression Step.

We identified the following strengths:

All progression steps sampled have completed art projects and activities within their new topics. Learners at Progression Step 1 used a local business as a stimulus for their topic, whilst learners sampled at Progression Step 2 and Progression Step 3 used local experiences to enhance their learning. Focusing on important local historical events and working with local businesses ensures that the children are developing as ethical, informed citizens of Wales. 

The Expressive Arts learning experiences sampled offered a variety cross-curricular skill development. In Progression Step 1, children developed literacy skills through oracy and class discussion and humanities skills developing understanding that events are linked to the past, present and future. In Progression Step 2, literacy skills were developed though speaking and listening with understanding and concentration. In Progression Step 3, children developed humanities skills in chronological awareness to accurately use dates and terms to describe historical events, as well as literacy skills through class discussion and selecting and applying text features focusing on presentation and layout. Cross curricular learning offers a visionary way to develop important skills, knowledge and understanding while motivating them to learn through challenging and inspiring topics. 

Expressive Art skills have been developed, reinforced and built upon during each topic. In Progression Step 1, children started with the Dinomania visit, then they decided what models to create. In Progression Step 2, children started with oracy discussions before completing their final pieces of artwork. In Progression Step 3, children started by researching artists, then appraising their work, before beginning to work in the style of said artists, therefore showing a build up of skills. Developing and building on skills is crucial for learners as new learning is constructed on prior knowledge. 

Our next steps:

AoLE leader and Creative Crew to review all LPS Curriculum Projects to monitor implementation and coverage of Expressive Arts throughout year. 

AoLE leader and Creative Crew to monitor the impact of self-directed learning in Expressive Arts using the Question Matrix across LPS. 

AoLE leader and Creative Crew to suggest further Expressive Arts learning experiences, providing pupil voice to help shape the LPS Curriculum.