Curriculum Intent – Art and Design 

Art is the expression or application of creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. Art is a form of communication - sharing the way in which we experience the world. 

At St Mary’s, Art and Design is part of our broad and balanced curriculum and is a subject which engages children and gives all pupils a chance to shine. We aim to provide pupils with many diverse opportunities to express themselves through art and create a range of pieces that they can be proud of. 

During their time at St Mary’s, children develop skills which fit into the following categories: 

• Drawing 

• Painting and Mixed Media 

• Sculpture and 3D 

• Craft and Design 

Within these categories, children make progress in their observational drawings – demonstrating an awareness of proportion and perspective, and learning to incorporate texture, tone etc. They select and use a variety of painting techniques, making choices as to the most suitable tools for a task. And they have opportunities to create 3D sculptures – planning the materials, construction and joining techniques to be used in the finished product. 

As well as developing this disciplinary knowledge, children have the opportunity to research many famous artists and their works, and make progress in their substantive knowledge in the following key areas: 

• Colour 

• Form 

• Shape 

• Line 

• Pattern 

• Texture 

• Tone 

Art lessons are usually linked to the current learning experiences of the children, utilising the classroom, wider school grounds and the local environment. These diverse and creative learning opportunities excite and engage children and instil a love of art that we hope will remain with children for life. 

How will we achieve our Curriculum Intent for Art and Design? 

The Art and Design curriculum at St. Mary’s encompasses the National Curriculum as set out by the Dept. for Education published in September 2013. At St. Mary’s, we use the Kapow scheme of work to support our teaching of this subject. 

Drawing, Painting and Mixed Media, Sculpture and 3D, and Craft and Design are revisited each year, building on previous learning. Each unit is usually taught in a cross-curricular way - linked to the term’s overarching theme so that the children can develop and apply their learning in this area. For example, as part of the Year 5/6 ‘What Can We Learn from Conflict?’ topic, children have the opportunity to produce 3D sculptures of Anderson shelters demonstrating their understanding of what the shelters would have been used for and how people lived during WW2. Similarly, in Years 1 and 2, pupils develop their drawing skills by studying portraits of Queen Elizabeth I before creating their own. 

Art and Design may also be used in other curriculum areas, for example science when children are required to make observational drawings, and R.E. to demonstrate theological understanding that may otherwise be difficult to put into words. In addition to this, there are strong links to our core values in particular, Creativity and Perseverance, which teachers will regularly refer to during Art and Design lessons. 

We enjoy regular Pause Days and Curriculum Weeks where Art and Design often features heavily. It is also often used for a purpose – for example when pupils were involved in painting the décor for our Values Garden. This helps to instil a sense of belonging in our school community.