Intent

We have developed an Art and Design Technology curriculum that aims to inspire creativity, nurture imagination, and develop technical and evaluative skills in all pupils. Through a carefully structured and progressive curriculum, we aim to equip children with the knowledge and skills to express themselves confidently and purposefully through a range of artistic and design-based media.

We believe that the following are the key skills of a good artist and designer, and we aim for all our pupils to develop these:

• Drawing, painting, sculpting, and constructing with increasing control and creativity
• Exploring and experimenting with a wide range of materials, tools, and techniques
• Evaluating and refining their own work and the work of others
• Understanding the work and influence of artists, designers, and craftspeople
• Applying design thinking to solve real-world problems through planning, making, and evaluating

Alongside these skills, we aim to ensure that our curriculum is progressively challenging in terms of both technical ability and creative thinking. We have carefully planned a progression of skills and knowledge within each year group and across the whole curriculum. We have liaised with our feeder Infant school to ensure continuity and progression, avoiding repetition and building on prior learning.

We have carefully sequenced our Art and Design Technology curriculum to ensure a broad and balanced experience. Pupils study a wide range of artistic styles, movements, and design challenges, drawing inspiration from both classic and contemporary artists and designers, including those from the UK and from around the world. This enables our children to see the relevance of art and design in different cultures and time periods, and to develop their own unique creative voice.

We have embedded two key themes throughout our Art and Design Technology curriculum:

• Inspiration from artists and designers – exploring how their work influences our own
• Creative problem-solving – using the design process to plan, make, evaluate and improve
• Planning in this way enables our children to build on their prior learning, make meaningful connections across subjects, and develop a deeper understanding of the creative process.

We have also considered how to contextualise our children’s learning by incorporating local artists and community projects. These experiences help to bring art and design to life, making it relevant and inspiring for our pupils.

 

Implementation

We adopt a skills-based and enquiry-led approach to the teaching and learning of Art and Design Technology, which develops our pupils as confident, reflective, and imaginative creators. Through practical exploration and structured teaching, our pupils build subject knowledge and understanding, while developing their ability to think critically, solve problems, and express ideas visually.

Our curriculum is structured around carefully planned units that focus on specific skills, media, and techniques. Each unit is designed to build on prior learning and to introduce new challenges that stretch pupils’ creativity and technical ability. We ensure that pupils have opportunities to revisit and refine key skills such as drawing, painting, sculpture, textiles, and digital media.

In Design Technology, we follow the design-make-evaluate process, encouraging pupils to think like designers and engineers. Projects are purposeful and often linked to real-world contexts, allowing pupils to design for a user, consider functionality, and reflect on the effectiveness of their outcomes.

We provide opportunities for pupils to explore the work of a diverse range of artists and designers, both historical and contemporary, local and global. This includes visits to galleries, workshops with local artists, and the use of digital resources to explore international art and design. These experiences help pupils to understand the cultural and historical significance of art and design and to see themselves as part of a wider creative community.

The learning in Art and Design Technology is interactive and practical, allowing opportunities for pupils to work independently as well as collaboratively. We encourage experimentation, risk-taking, and reflection, helping pupils to develop resilience and confidence in their creative abilities.

We provide rich, varied, and differentiated ways for pupils to record and present their work, including sketchbooks, 3D models, and written evaluations. This ensures that knowledge and skills are embedded and that pupils can build on what they know and understand from one year to the next.

We also make cross-curricular links wherever possible, particularly with subjects such as History, Science, and Computing, to contextualise and embed knowledge and skills.

 

Impact

For each unit of work in Art and Design Technology, there are clearly articulated expectations for pupils to achieve, which we have identified as being appropriate expected outcomes. These outcomes identify both the knowledge that a pupil should have gained over the course of the unit and the skills that a pupil should have mastered in order to express themselves creatively and solve design problems effectively.

In reaching judgements against these outcomes, teachers draw upon a wide range of formative assessment, including observation, discussion, sketchbook evidence, and final outcomes. Pupil voice is also an important part of our assessment process, as we encourage children to reflect on their learning and articulate their creative choices.

We recognise that not all pupils will achieve the expected outcomes at the same time. Therefore, we have identified expected outcomes for pupils working towards the expected standard, as well as for those working at greater depth. This ensures that all pupils are supported and challenged appropriately.

The impact of our curriculum is that pupils leave our school with a strong foundation in artistic and design skills, an appreciation for the work of others, and the confidence to express themselves creatively. They understand the value of art and design in the wider world and are equipped with the skills to continue their creative journey in secondary school and beyond.