At the Milford Academy, pupils experience a wide range of inspirational, creative projects within the Art and Design curriculum. Pupils learn age appropriate skills and techniques and explore a wide range of media throughout their school journey. Art and Design projects are often linked to topic work to give a context to Art and Design skills and help pupils make connections in their learning. Pupils have the opportunity to study a range of Artists. Activities are planned in each phase to ensure a progression of skills, techniques and media.
Creativity is also developed through partnership projects, such as with Nottingham Trent University and the Nottingham Contemporary Start Project. Milford pupils are given the opportunity to visit Art galleries and work with professional artists (See School Life – Nottingham Contemporary Partnership Projects and Nottingham Trent University Art Partnership).
In addition to curriculum work, enthusiastic and gifted artists have the opportunity to extend their Art and Design skills further through Art Club. In this club, pupils have the opportunity to explore their creative ideas in greater depth, using a wide range of inspiration, media and techniques.
We hope that these planned, creative, progressive activities will foster aspiration and enjoyment in the arts.
Early Years and Foundation children develop a range of skills and techniques and use a range of media. Milford pupils begin to make marks with pencils, felts, chalks and paints. They begin to develop collage techniques, choosing colours, textures and patterns. Pupils have a range of opportunities to explore 3D work.
Collage, colour and texture work
Key stage 1 pupils continue to develop drawing skills, 3D work, print techniques and choices in colour, texture and pattern.
Key Stage 1 pupils created patterns and clay sculptures inspired by nature.
Weaving skills and techniques in Year 3
Year 3 explored a range of techniques, resources, colours and textures to create these beautiful art works.
Year 3 pupils entered the wonderful world of texture and weaving. They tried weaving with a wide range of materials such as, wool, paper, straw and ribbon! Different sizes and styles of weaving looms were explored. Do you like the range of colours and textures created?
Year 4 pupils worked in 3D to create Ancient Egyptian Death Masks
While making the masks they used a wide range of skills; sketching, cutting, paper mache, moulding, modelling and painting! Pupils were very proud of the results!
Year 3 pupils developed 3D modelling techniques using clay in partnership with tNottingham Tret University.
Year 3 pupils were then able to glaze their clay work and see the beautiful results after they were fired in the kiln at Nottingham Trent University.
Year 5 printed onto fabric using flowers and leaves.
Upper Key stage 2 pupils worked in 3D to create Viking longboat models.
Upper Key stage 2 developed Observational sketch techniques.
Pupils helped each other explore different pencil grades, shading techniques and shadow.
Year 6 pupils also explores water colour techniques and used then to create intricate designs and faded landscapes.
Art Club – For more details of Art Club work see – School Life – Art Club
Year 4 exhibit at the Nottingham Contemporary 2018-2019
Year 4 exhibited their work as part of the Start project in partnership with the Nottingham Contemporary. Year 4 pupils exhibited a variety of art forms including a dance performance on screen, 3D wire sculptures and free drawings.
For more details of this project see School Life – Nottingham Contemporary Partnership Project 2018 -2019.
Year 4 pupils also explored the exhibition by Daniel Steegmann Mangrane linking with their rainforest topic.
Hoodwinked BookBench Project (Sponsored by East Midlands Airport)
Congratulations to the talented artists at the Milford Academy who designed, drew and painted an amazing BookBench. Pupils created a design that represented a reading journey through the Milford Academy showing the diverse genres and interesting authors children meet along the way!
Pupils sketched out ideas on paper, planned the areas faintly on the unpainted bench then created the design using acrylic paints and posca pens for outline detail. Finally, the BookBench was varnished.
Can you spot your favourite book, author or character on the BookBench?
French Artist Studies on Culture Day
During Culture Day this year, the Milford Academy studied famous French artists. EYFS discovered the bold colours and collage techniques of Mattisse, KS1 explored the magic of Monet, Lower Key Stage 2 studied the pointilism movement through the artist Georges Seurat and Upper Key Stage 2 explored the still life compositions of Cezanne.
Which famous French artist is your favourite?
Milford Pupils Exhibit their work at the Nottingham Contemporary 2017 -2018
Nottingham Contemporary Partnership Project 2017 Initial Gallery Visit
Year 4 pupils were fascinated and inspired by the ‘States of America’ exhibition at the Nottingham Contemporary Gallery. Reflecting on the photographs, discussing images, creating poses and imagining emotions gave pupis plenty of creative ideas. Images at the gallery inspired Milford art work including masks, poetry, portrait thoughts and drawing with words!
For more images, see School Life – The Nottingham Contemporary Partnership Project 2017.
Lower Key Stage 2 have been developing their drawing techniques. Over several sessions, they explored pencil grades, shading patterns, tone, texture and shadow.
Can you see where children have developed tone, texture and shadow?
Congratulations to all the talented, creative pupils of Milford!
