Art & Design

Intent

At The Willows Catholic Primary School, we aim to develop confident, curious and thoughtful artists who can express ideas, explore materials and make purposeful creative choices.

Our Art and Design curriculum is carefully sequenced from Reception to Year 6 so that pupils develop increasingly secure knowledge and practical skill. Pupils build their understanding of drawing, painting, sculpture and other artistic techniques through repeated opportunities to practise, refine and apply what they have learned.

We want pupils to understand that art is both a practical and intellectual discipline. They learn how artists use line, shape, form, colour, tone, texture, pattern and space to communicate ideas and create meaning.

Pupils study a range of artists, designers and craftspeople from different periods, cultures and traditions. They learn to look closely at artwork, discuss what they notice and consider how artists make choices about materials, techniques and composition.

As pupils progress through school, they are expected to become increasingly independent in developing ideas, selecting materials, refining techniques and evaluating their own work.

Art also provides pupils with opportunities to develop confidence, persistence and individuality. We want pupils to recognise that artistic work develops through experimentation, reflection and refinement rather than through a single finished outcome.

Implementation

Art and Design is taught through a carefully sequenced curriculum which builds progressively from the Early Years through to Year 6.

Each unit identifies the important knowledge, techniques and vocabulary that pupils need to learn. New learning builds upon previous experience so that pupils revisit key artistic processes with increasing challenge and sophistication.

Drawing forms an important foundation within the curriculum. Pupils progressively develop greater control of line, shape, tone, texture, proportion and composition. They apply these skills in increasingly purposeful ways across different units.

Pupils also develop their understanding and control of painting, sculpture, printing, collage and other media. They learn how different tools, materials and processes behave and how these can be combined to achieve particular effects.

Teachers explicitly model techniques and provide opportunities for pupils to practise before applying them independently. Pupils are encouraged to experiment, make choices and refine their work rather than simply reproduce a teacher's example.

Sketchbooks are used as a working record of the artistic process. Pupils use them to explore ideas, practise techniques, investigate artists, record observations and develop work towards a final outcome.

The study of artists is integrated into practical learning. Pupils consider how artists use particular materials, processes and visual elements and use this knowledge to inform their own work. The aim is not for pupils to copy artists but to understand and learn from their approaches.

Artistic vocabulary is taught explicitly so that pupils can discuss artwork and explain the choices they make in their own work.

Assessment focuses on the important knowledge and practical outcomes identified within each unit. Teachers consider pupils' developing control of techniques, their understanding of artistic concepts and their ability to apply what they have learned with increasing independence.

Teaching is adapted where necessary so that all pupils, including those with SEND, can access the important knowledge and practical experiences within the curriculum while maintaining ambitious expectations.

Impact

The impact of our Art and Design curriculum is seen in the increasing confidence, knowledge and control pupils demonstrate in their artistic work.

As pupils progress through school, they should be able to use a wider range of materials and techniques with increasing accuracy, control and purpose. They should draw upon previous learning when tackling new artistic challenges and make increasingly deliberate choices about materials, techniques and composition.

Pupils should be able to talk confidently about the work of artists, designers and craftspeople using appropriate artistic vocabulary. They should be able to identify features of artwork, explain how particular effects have been created and use this understanding to inform their own work.

Pupils should also become increasingly independent in the creative process. They should be able to explore ideas, experiment with materials, make decisions, evaluate their work and refine it in response to their own observations and feedback.

Teachers and subject leaders consider pupils' understanding through sketchbooks, practical work, discussions and completed outcomes. The Art and Design subject leader monitors the quality and impact of the curriculum through pupil discussions, scrutiny of sketchbooks and artwork and consideration of how knowledge and techniques develop across year groups.

By the end of Year 6, our aim is for pupils to leave The Willows with secure foundations in artistic knowledge and technique, confidence in expressing and developing ideas and an appreciation of the work of artists from a wide range of traditions.

• Art Curriculum Map download_for_offline
  download_for_offlineArt Curriculum Map