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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Why is my year 1 DD not doing any art at school?

71 replies

MrsUptight · 13/12/2013 20:36

Another thread has just made me realise that DD has not come out of school with any art work ONCE this year. Apart from things made for Christmas which I had to buy.

She comes out with little drawings in pen which she's done on scrap paper but not ONE painting.

Is that normal? She's five! They love and need art. Who shall I ask about this? Her teacher or the HT? I can offer to volunteer once a week if they need help or support with arts and crafts but I'm quite upset to have this realization...DD loves art.

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lilyaldrin · 14/12/2013 18:41

You were specifically complaining about her not painting at school though - she's likely to be doing art, but maybe not painting specifically this term and maybe not bringing stuff home this term. You don't really know what she is or isn't doing at school at the moment.

CanIMakeItToChristmas · 14/12/2013 18:46

Sorry, just a bit sick of parents dictating the curriculum. We have enough pressure fitting the government's curriculum in to the amount of hours we have in a day with out parents with parents with musical expertise telling us what and how we should be teaching in school music lessons, scientists telling us what and how to teach KS 1 science, etc.
Until you last post MrsU you have referred to lack of painting as your evidence that art teaching is incorrect at your school. That is why I posted about the curriculum v's what you want (paintings to take home)

CanIMakeItToChristmas · 14/12/2013 18:47

Whoops, my frustration has led to poor punctuation!

tinselkitty · 14/12/2013 18:49

She won't be allowed to bring it home yet, needs to be kept in school as evidence for ofsted.

Teacher would get a bollocking if he/she had sent all their artwork home and ofsted made an appearance!

tinselkitty · 14/12/2013 18:53

Oh and they could well be doing paint/brush skills next term or summer term, hence no painting.

Filakia · 14/12/2013 19:06

I can understand the op's desire to see dc's paintings and art work every so often, rather than all bundled up in a portfolio at the end of the year by which time her dc will have moved on and forgotten what anything was about.

As op is an artist herself she proably woud like to chat about the stuff (as with her dc and engage in 'the process'.

I also read somewhere that it is nice for kids to see their art work shown (at home on the fridge or whatever) rather than disappearing in a folder.

mrs, I would have a friendly chat with the teacher and iainting is not part of the curriculum in yr 1, it makes sense to do it at home. I love the idea of you to helping out in the classroom as well!!

Original poster

MrsUptight · 14/12/2013 19:10

Thank you Filakia that's exactly it! I know I said "painting" but I suppose I meant "messy art"...things like painted pictures, carboard boxes they'd made into houses...that kind of thing. It's a shame they don't get to see them at home on the fridge and discuss with me what they've done that day...or even the day before...when it's fresh in their minds.

I know teachers have Ofsted and all that but tb frank I don't care. I still want to see what they're making!

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CanIMakeItToChristmas · 14/12/2013 19:20

But it's not just OFSTED, it is following the required curriculum. Maybe you can volunteer to run an after school art club to do all the messy art that may be EYFS curriculum, but not KS1? If you offered that at my school I'd jump at it.

Original poster

MrsUptight · 14/12/2013 19:21

Christmas I can volunteer during school time for about 2 hours a week but not after school. I wonder if that would be any use? Maybe a lunchtime club or something?

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CanIMakeItToChristmas · 14/12/2013 19:26

Good idea. Sorry for my frustration earlier, but it is pushing me to my limit with some parents at my school telling me what to teach and how and when. We have carefully agreed and progressive schemes of work, that cover all the required objectives and being expected to drop them to meet the parents demands is just not possible. Your OP came across as expecting that. If you want to do a specific type of art when you help it may be more diplomatic to ask when in the school year it fits in with the curriculum, or as you suggest offer a lunchtime non-curricular club.

Filakia · 14/12/2013 19:29

Mrs, if you end up doing a lunchtime club, you could ask the teacher if it would be ok to take photos of some of the kids' work and upload it onto a Facebook group... Maybe other parents would also like to see their dc's art more regularity if it can't be sent home due to ofsted....

Filakia · 14/12/2013 19:30

Oh, forgive my awful spelling. My phone's keyboard is f*

CanIMakeItToChristmas · 14/12/2013 19:30

You won't be able to name children on facebook though.

MrsCakesPremonition · 14/12/2013 19:31

Our school have regular open mornings/afternoons/evenings. The children's artwork is on display everywhere. The school would be very dull looking if everyone took their artwork home as soon as it was finished.

Perhaps just as the teacher when you will get a chance to look around?

Filakia · 14/12/2013 19:34

makeit I was wondering about that too (no experience with schools yet).

If people would like this sort of thing maybe dc could have nicknames for this? Maybe that's too far fetched... Not sure, it was just an idea.

Original poster

MrsUptight · 14/12/2013 20:00

I don't "do" Facebook I'm afraid. a club would be a club...for fun not for curriculum and the "work" they did would always come home or I just wouldn't want to do it. I'm not a qualified art teacher...I'm a textile artist...I wouldn't know where to begin teaching...I'd rather keep it open...and easy.

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spanieleyes · 14/12/2013 21:50

That's the difference, I'm afraid. You want art just to be fun, we have to teach the National Curriculum, please OFSTED, show progression, display children's artwork in school, maintain evidence of taught skills. Sometimes, as hard as we try, the two just don't match.

We run an after school art club for fun but the art we do in class is part of the National Curriculum and, as such has to be assessed, progressed and monitored. Welcome to our world

Cat98 · 15/12/2013 17:55

Ds doesn't bring home much art either, but at parents evening we were told that he doesn't really like it and never chooses it when they have free choice.
When he does its often just unrecognisable scribbles! He's year 1 too. He did do quite a good house once but he's more likely to bring home random sums or numbers written on paper (he loves maths)!

If he loved art but never brought any back I'd be quite surprised.

MidniteScribbler · 15/12/2013 20:43

Giving children a paintbrush and telling them to go for it may be fun, but in this day and age of curriculum and co-curriculum learning, there's not a llot opportunity for it in an already busy day. Most learning activities incorporate multiple disciplines (eg a dance lesson incorporating maths and science, or drama incorporating history, etc), rather than cookie cutter art lessons or free-for-alls. What is produced has to be assessed and used as evidence for children's learning. Saying that you think they should scan or take photos is just adding another task to an already insane workload, just because you can't wait until the end of term.

Teachers can't win either way. If we send it home, parents complain about what they're supposed to do with all that paper. If we don't, someone thinks that we're not doing art at all.

Hulababy · 15/12/2013 21:43

Don't think the children in my Y2 class have done much painting this term tbh. They have done art once a week, plus some other stuff irregularly, like D&T.

Think they did textire art, pastels and chalk, sketching and ink drwings so far They also did some model making of 2D and 3D tudor houses.

And none of it has gone home. All either on walls or in art portfolio as part of our evidence.

Original poster

MrsUptight · 15/12/2013 23:30

Does anyone else think it's important for them to share work with their parents as and when it's done? Or is it only me?

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MrsCakesPremonition · 15/12/2013 23:38

I don't think it is necessary for children to share with their parents every piece of work they do at school as soon as it is completed. Is it just art that you feel needs to be shared, or do you also want to see numeracy and literacy work at once too?

It is interesting to see how the work they do at school can influence the craft work they do at home though.

MidniteScribbler · 15/12/2013 23:42

You could try actually talking to the teacher. I have a portfolio for every student that I add to during the term and it is sent home after marking is all complete. However, parents are welcome to view it at any time. They can't have the work home until assessment is completed and reporting is done, but they are able to view it.

If your child has just started schooling, then you're probably used to the more relaxed environment of daycare or nursery where art is done for fun and isn't needed for assessment and grading purposes (and the staff can't wait for parents to take all of it home!). I'm afraid that you will have to get used to not getting reams of paper full of finger painting and leaves stuck on them. School is a very different environment and units of work can take whole terms to complete which is why it remains at school either in a portfolio or on display in the room.

You can let your child do as much painting at home as you like and put it on the fridge. I don't see why it needs to be done in the classroom and sent home. Teachers are there to actually teach the children, not provide fridge art work for the parents.

Original poster

MrsUptight · 16/12/2013 00:32

Midnite are you not in England? It's December...I clearly stated my child is in year 1 which means I have had well over a year to get used to school as opposed to "daycare" by which I suppose you mean preschool or nursery.

I also have another, older child so am perfectly familiar with the system thanks.

Your last sentence makes you sound like a bit of a tit. I hope you're not a teacher at my child's school.

We're talking about 5 year old children. I couldn't care less about teacher's "needs" with regards to curriculum and I don't want pictures for the fridge more than I want to see the art my child does and discuss it, enjoy it and carry on with more in a similar vein.

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Original poster

MrsUptight · 16/12/2013 00:33

Cakes I get very well informed of her literacy and numeracy via a book which comes home nightly. Great...so I can support her at home.

But creative work? Nope. Nothing. Obviously not seen as important though to children of 5 it is extremely important.

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