Sculpture in Reception

In the early years, pupils use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques to create their sculptures. Children are given the opportunity to use craft and modelling materials to create pieces of artwork inspired by the world around them. Children are given the opportunity to use different joining techniques to build their models inspired by a learning walk around the local area. Using photographs, they are inspired to recreate sculptures of buildings in Atherton.

Pupils are also given the opportunity to use clay to create sculptures of fruit. They begin to use different clay tools and explore techniques to roll and shape clay into shapes of their favourite fruits. They then decorate using paint. 

Sculpture in KS1

Sculpture in Years 3 and 4

In years 3 and 4, children use their sketchbooks to record their research and responses to sculptures from different periods. They use their research to inspire their own designs. 

After exploring sculptures from

different artists and periods, pupils are able to create their own designs. 

Children are given the opportunity to practise clay techniques such as rolling, pinching and scoring, carving and blending to add detail including 3D elements using scoring, a slip, sticking and smoothing to join pieces of clay.

They are then able to create their own clay tiles. These were inspired by the Romans. Children combine mosaics and clay sculpture to make their pieces. They apply the techniques that they have practised to shape and join the clay in a variety of shapes. They use tools such as knives and scrapers to add texture.  

Children are given the opportunity to paint and add mosaic tiles to their final pieces. 

Sculpture in Years 5 and 6

In years 5 and 6, pupils continue to use their sketchbooks to analyse and respond to sculpture from notable artists around the world such as Edward Degas, Barbara Hepworth and Anish Kapoor. They then research and record their ideas  about the life and work of Lucie Rie. 

Pupils research the case style and designs of the Ancient Greeks. They use books, images from class visits to the museum and the internet to gather their ideas. 

Pupils use the research in their sketch books, as well as their work from our topic on Greek myths, religion, daily life and the Olympics, to inspire their own Green vase designs. Working in pairs, they sketch their own vase designs thinking carefully about their choice of colours and pattern on their vase as well as the shape and style of the vessel. 

Using their designs, pupils then create a 3D design from cardboard, newspaper and plastic to create the shape of their vase before using mod rok to build their final sculpture. Pupils are able to add handles, spouts and bases to their vase to create their chosen shape. 

Once the mod rok has set, children paint their vessel with their chosen designs inspired by different aspects of Ancient Greek life such as religion, war or the Olympics. They use different sized brushes and mix their own colours using black and white to alter different tints and shades of brown.