Art and Design 

Intent 

Our curriculum is informed by, but not limited to the PlanIt scheme and the national curriculum for art and design and aims to ensure that all pupils:

• produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences 

• become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques 

• evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design 

• know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms 

The school believes that art is a vital part of pupils’ education, with a significant and valuable role in the taught curriculum and the enrichment opportunities we offer our pupils. The art curriculum aims to develop and challenge pupils’ critical abilities, artistic experiences and skills through a range of techniques as well as an understanding of their own and others’ cultural heritages through the study of a diverse range of artists.

Pupils will develop their understanding of the visual language of art with effective teaching and considered sequences of lessons and experiences designed to build towards clear end points at the end of each unit. Understanding of the visual elements of art and design (line, tone, texture, colour, pattern, shape and 3D form) will be developed by providing a well-designed curriculum. 

The curriculum is sequenced to ensure progression in skills and knowledge from the EYFS, following ‘Development Matters’ guidance until pupils leave us at the end of key stage 2; a repetition-based approach by over-learning the same artistic skills each year enables a more secure, deeper learning and mastery. The curriculum is designed to ensure that knowledge and skills for each year are mapped to ensure progression and continuity.  This ensures that pupils develop their skills systematically, building their knowledge of art from one year to the next.  

The skills and knowledge that pupils will develop throughout each art topic are mapped across each year group and are progressive throughout the school.  The emphasis on knowledge ensures that pupils understand the context of the artwork, as well as the artists that they are learning about and being inspired by.  This enables links to other curriculum areas, including humanities, with pupils developing a considerable knowledge of individual artists, as well as individual works and art movements.  A similar systematic approach to the development of artistic skills means that pupils are given opportunities to express their creative imagination, as well as practise and develop mastery in the key processes of art: drawing, painting, printing, textiles and sculpture. 

Implementation 

The school’s high-quality art curriculum is supported through the availability of a wide range of quality resources, which are used to support pupils’ confidence in the use of different media.  The school’s unique locality is also utilised, with planned opportunities for learning outside the classroom, as well as the involvement of adults with specialist skills from the local and wider community. Children are given a wide range of opportunities to develop their cultural capital, including Delight workshops, visits from artists and gallery visits. 

Impact 

The structure of the art curriculum ensures that pupils are able to develop their knowledge and understanding of the work of artists, craftspeople and designers from a range of times and cultures and apply this knowledge to their own work.  The use of pupils’ sketchbooks means that pupils are able to review, modify and develop their initial ideas in order to achieve high quality outcomes.  Pupils learn to understand and apply the key principles of art: line, tone, texture, shape, form, space, pattern, colour, contrast, composition, proportion and perspective.  The opportunity for pupils to refine and develop their techniques over time is supported by effective lesson sequencing and progression between year groups.  

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Displays reflect the pupils’ sense of pride in their artwork and this is also demonstrated by creative outcomes across the wider curriculum.  The Art curriculum contributes to pupils’ personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection.