Curriculum Intent for Art and Design

We believe that art is a vital part of children’s education. Our curriculum helps to develop creativity, provide challenges and inspire and engage the children. This allows our children to express their ideas, have a life-long love of learning and have faith in creating their own works of art. The children are encouraged to show kindness and respect of each other’s art work which are some of school Christian Values rooted in God’s love.

As pupils progress, we believe they will be able to use the skills they have acquired to think critically and build a deep understanding of a range of media. The children are encouraged to become self-reflective by making observations and evaluating their work. This helps them to go on a journey of exploration in order to make informed decisions for future projects.

The children will have access to a selection of quality resources enabling them to flourish and achieve their full potential. This will help them gain courage and explore their creativity, reaching their full potential.

Art and Design Implementation Statement 

At Eastchurch CE Primary School, our Art and Design curriculum is based upon the revised Kapow scheme of work which has been adapted to meet the needs of our pupils. We have ensured that the units chosen, enable pupils to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. EYFS (Reception and Nursery) units provide opportunities for pupils to work towards the Development Matters statements and the Early Learning Goals. 

The learning is designed with five strands that run throughout. These are: Generating ideas, Using sketchbooks, Making skills; including formal elements (line, shape, tone, texture, pattern, colour), Knowledge of artists and Evaluating and analysing. 

At Eastchurch, Art and Design is taught in terms one, three and six, alternating with Design and Technology. This is to ensure that the knowledge and skills in Art and Design can be taught in depth. The topics in Art and Design across these three terms are mostly the same for each year group so clear progression of skills can be monitored from one year to the next. Any different topics taught across terms will be fitted in and linked to the year group topic or text.The Art and Design curriculum outlines the four core areas: Drawing, Painting and mixed-media, Sculpture and 3D and Craft and design. 

The Art and Design units fully scaffold and support essential and age appropriate, sequenced learning, and are flexible enough to be adapted to form cross-curricular links with Eastchurch’s curriculum. Creativity and independent outcomes are robustly embedded into our units, supporting children in learning how to make their own creative choices and decisions, so that their art outcomes, whilst still being knowledge-rich, are unique to the pupil and personal. 

Lessons are always practical in nature and encourage experimental and exploratory learning with pupils using sketchbooks to document their ideas. Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed and enjoyed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils by providing a highly visual record of the key knowledge and techniques learned, encouraging recall of skills processes, key facts and vocabulary. 

Strong subject knowledge is vital for staff to be able to deliver a highly effective and robust DT curriculum. Each unit of lessons includes multiple teacher videos to develop subject knowledge and support ongoing CPD. 

At Eastchurch, we are fortunate enough to have a whole school resource cupboard full of lots of useful resources to teach the Art and Design topics. Resources have been clearly separated into DT and Art and Design resources and they are set out accessibly for teachers to use.  

There have been three Arts and Crafts clubs taught across the year led by different staff members. This has been to encourage children to become creative in designing and making a range of different things. Not only does this support children’s creativity in new ways, it enables staff to meet new children from different year groups and build on their knowledge and skills from their lessons.