Here at St Andrews we value a visual arts education. We aim to enable our learners with the skills and confidence to explore, create and invent through the Art making process. Our classes are formal in their approach with a focus on learning through the art elements. A purposeful art education is life-enhancing and helps to promote creative thinking, flexibility and problem-solving skills.

In our Art department, we encourage growth and development through art. Our learners are encouraged to be spontaneous, take a risk, experiment, show difference and share ideas with their peers. These ideas contribute to a positive environment in the Art room and makes participation in Art an exciting and engaged learning space for our pupils.

Arts education is integral to primary education in helping to promote thinking, imagination and sensitivity, and arts activities can be a focus for social and cultural development and enjoyment in school. A visual art education encompasses a wide range of media and activities from Drawing, Painting, Printing, Clay, Construction, Collage, Fabric and Fibre. These activities and experiences help our learners to put things in context; to think, to look, to imagine and to find solutions to problems; to deal with feelings and to respond to creative experience.

We Believe;

• An Art education should be linked and integrated to pupil’s core subjects, helping them to express ideas and contextualise learning from the wider school curriculum in their art practice.

• All learners have a creative potential, and we aim to enable them with the skills to visually describe and express their ideas.

• Pupils will have an understanding of the art elements (Shape, Line, Colour, Tone, Texture, Form, Composition, Pattern and Relief).

• Pupils can form their own opinion about their work and the work of other artists, and be able to articulate that opinion.

Our Commitment;

• To enrich the junior school environment with visual art displays of pupils work.

• To create an open learning environment, where pupils can invent, experiment, problem solve and create.

• To encourage creative problem solving and imaginative thinking.

• To foster appreciation of art and visual practice.

• To enable our learners to explore, edit and express ideas through a wide range of art disciplines and media.

Mr Liam Cousins

Email: lcousins@st-andrews.ie