The words “assessment” and “progression” have become very loaded in recent times, and there is increasing pressure on teachers to treat art like other curriculum areas. The reality is art is a unique subject and if we are to truly enable creativity in schools then we need to rethink our approach to assessment and progression.
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Assessment & Progression
Mind the Gap Between the National Curriculum in Art for Primary Schools & Ofsted
9 Comments
Lesa S
November 28, 2021 @
11:39 pm
What about coming up with a list of questions to be used in a ‘wall discussion’? We could share it with teachers. If the artwork is imaginative or detailed things are happening, I like to use the 5 senses for questioning…. If you were inside your picture what might you hear…. touch…. taste…. smell or see? This may require putting up describing words lists, depending on the student’s literacy levels. I might ask kids what their favorite part of the project was and why, what the most difficult part was and how they problem solved…etc. If the work is based on an artist in history, I ask students to come up with a question they would ask that artist if they met them.
This has been a really useful article for me. Next year, I’ll just be teaching art to the whole school with a dedicated art space. Really excited , but I have been thinking a lot about getting the assessment right and this has helped to organise my thoughts. Many thanks
Thankyou for this – I love the idea of having their growth as a journey on the wall throughout the year. I am wondering about the use of post it notes and photographs of the children to show their voice . I think this could work two ways with the pupil voice on post it notes on the journey wall and teacher voice on post it notes in sketchbooks. At the end of the session or even the topic, these can be put into an envelope in the back of their sketchbooks which will create an ‘assessment conversation’. Children love looking back at things they have done in previous years and this will help them reflect and grow when they revisit a previous skill and hopefully give them the courage for different experimentation.
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Lesa S
November 28, 2021 @ 11:39 pm
What about coming up with a list of questions to be used in a ‘wall discussion’? We could share it with teachers. If the artwork is imaginative or detailed things are happening, I like to use the 5 senses for questioning…. If you were inside your picture what might you hear…. touch…. taste…. smell or see? This may require putting up describing words lists, depending on the student’s literacy levels. I might ask kids what their favorite part of the project was and why, what the most difficult part was and how they problem solved…etc. If the work is based on an artist in history, I ask students to come up with a question they would ask that artist if they met them.
Paula
December 1, 2021 @ 7:20 am
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts Lesa – nice ideas to provoke conversation and thinking 🙂
Rebecca Marie E
February 17, 2022 @ 4:29 pm
Hello – is there a transcript available to this? Thank you!
Paula
February 22, 2022 @ 8:54 am
I’m sorry there isn’t – though there are captions on the video if that helps?!
Katie P
March 10, 2022 @ 12:33 am
Thank you – very helpful. Sorted some worries and was relieved to hear the joy, differences and exploratory open-ended results are celebrated.
Sue B
August 13, 2022 @ 1:41 pm
This has been a really useful article for me. Next year, I’ll just be teaching art to the whole school with a dedicated art space. Really excited , but I have been thinking a lot about getting the assessment right and this has helped to organise my thoughts. Many thanks
Paula
August 25, 2022 @ 2:21 pm
We are working on EYFS resources now – in the meantime pls click the tiger face at https://www.accessart.org.uk/exemplar-primary-art-plan/
Alison C
November 14, 2022 @ 5:09 pm
Thankyou for this – I love the idea of having their growth as a journey on the wall throughout the year. I am wondering about the use of post it notes and photographs of the children to show their voice . I think this could work two ways with the pupil voice on post it notes on the journey wall and teacher voice on post it notes in sketchbooks. At the end of the session or even the topic, these can be put into an envelope in the back of their sketchbooks which will create an ‘assessment conversation’. Children love looking back at things they have done in previous years and this will help them reflect and grow when they revisit a previous skill and hopefully give them the courage for different experimentation.
Tobi Meuwissen
November 15, 2022 @ 3:18 pm
This sounds like a really nice way to keep a record of how each child feels their experience has been. Do let us know how it goes