Art

'Creativity takes courage' - Henri Matisse

 At Giles Junior School, pupils understanding of history in art progresses gradually and sequentially within each year group, through the teaching of mastery skills and techniques which are based around experimenting with a range of media. These skills are built upon and continuously practised and revisited throughout their time in KS2, whilst also developing engagement in dialogue and debate. We encourage all children at Giles Junior School to confidently lead themselves as an artist through ideas and imagination, providing them with memorable and enjoyable experiences!

 

'Art lessons at school make me want to do more art in my life. I enjoy experiencing being in my own world with no one is distracting me!' - child from 3 Sweden.

'You can have a lot of creativity in art lessons. I enjoy expressing my feelings through drawing.' - child from 4 Zambia.

'Being able to paint on a canvas like Lowry made me feel grown up and like a real artist! It was really special and my mum was really proud of it.' - child from 5 Turkey.

'I have enjoyed learning about a more recent, unknown sculptist (Ikuko Iwamoto) and using this learning to create my own Spiky Spiky mug!' - child from 6 Peru.

 

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Art Gallery July 2024

On the 3rd July 2024 we held an art gallery at the end of the school day.  The purpose was for pupils to have an opportunity display their final art piece which was a culmination of all the art they had learned across the year.  By framing and displaying their final piece they got the opportunity to "feel like an artist".  It was clear the sense of pride they felt at this being display, and perhaps bought, by another person.  We hope these pieces will be a lasting memory of their artistic journey within school and beyond!

Pupil feedback

LM-Peru- I think the art gallery looked nice and I was really proud to show my artwork off.

FT- Australia-I like my artwork. I am proud that I got to see it in the art gallery. I think that the art gallery is a good idea and I would like to see it again next year. My mum brought mine and my brother’s artwork and it is going to be displayed in the kitchen.

DPL -Costa Rica- The art gallery was good. I was proud of my artwork.

KH- France-I was happy that my mum brought my artwork because now I can have it at home. I think the art gallery was a good way to get the artwork seen by all the parents and I was able to see my cousins. I wouldn’t normally be able to do that.

EM- Peru- I liked how the art gallery was set up. It was set up smoothly from one year to the next year. I am proud of my last piece of artwork and I am glad it was purchased.

EM- Australia- It was really fun printing and copying Andy Warhol’s artwork. The art gallery was really nice, I could see what all the years did. I could see the inspiration from Andy Warhol’s work in all of the year 4 artwork. I actually loved the art gallery for the whole school.

Parent feedback

The artwork is amazing and really well done! –EG 4Australia

Great artwork, well done! –TW 6 India

The art is amazing- EW 4 Costa Rica

Lovely display. Thank you for taking the time to do it. – LM 5 Finland

Very well set up. -Year 5

The artwork is impressive. DH 6 India

Lovely artwork the children seem really proud. –E 4 Zambia

Great display of work, after school is a great time. – C 5 Turkey

S’s Spiky Spiky mug and bowl is brilliant. She has taken lots of time to make it and it’s lovely to buy and keep. SW 6 Germany

A’s painting is fantastic as well as all the other students work. As someone who works in the art industry, I think it’s fantastic you encourage creativity. Please keep it up! – AP 5 Finland

A lovely time looking at the children’s artwork. Amazing job. - OP 5 France

Really amazed with her artwork and all the artwork by the children. Really beautiful. Thank you. – GN 3 Sweden

 World Art Day 2026

To celebrate World Art Day this year, Giles brought our community together through creativity by inviting families into school for a collaborative open morning. Together, children and their adults crafted beautiful lighthouse sculptures, symbolising our identity as a certified Lighthouse School.

Afterward, we gathered for an assembly with Junction 7 Creatives, who introduced themselves and set the tone for an inspiring day of artistic exploration. Each year group then took part in workshops, producing an array of stunning small and large lighthouse sculptures. These giant creations will soon be displayed around our school, offering a lasting reminder of how powerful and uplifting art can be.

To round off the celebrations, we honoured several of our pupils who won the Stevenage Council underpass art competition. We walked to Martins Way to see their artwork proudly displayed in the underpass—a wonderful moment of recognition and community pride.

Parent feedback

"I love these kind os sessions. It is a chance for me to spend time with my son in class and see how he interacts with his class." 4 Zambia

"Lovely learning, clear instructions for the children, very welcoming." 4 Zambia

"Nice to inspire children and show them differnt type of art." 5 Finland

"Lovely to watch the children express their artistic side, drawing and colouring their pictures." 6 India

"Very lovely morning. Always nice to be part of their day and be able to create something togetehr with them." 6 Germany

"A lovley way to come and spend time with my child in her classroom environment. Always happy to come!" Jamacia

"This is always a morning we look forward to. It's so nice to come in and create things together." 4 Costa Rica

"I really enojoyed this morning, it was very organised and calm." 3 Wales

"Had a lovely time with my son and to see his creativity. Thank you."  5 France

Pupil feedback

Ivy- "I liked all the art that we did in the Junction 7 Creatives workshop."

Isabella- "I enjoyed decorating the Lighthouse sculptures as we get to keep these in our school."

Alex- " I had much fun colouring and decorating the lighthouse sculpture using different types of pens."

Issac- "I likes seeing my parents the most for the open morning. I also liked sharing with others what I had created."

Abby- "Open morning was my favourite part of World Art Day. I liked making the lighthouses using a template, there were so many rescources and                colours to pick from."

Eirinn- "I enjoyed making the cards for the lighthouse sculptures in the workshop. I had many ideas and it was fun!"