"Art and design inspire creativity, imagination, and self-expression, enabling children to explore, experiment, and communicate their ideas while developing skills that will serve them throughout life."

National Curriculum for Art and Design, Department for Education (DfE)

Intent

At Wessex Gardens Primary School, we aim to inspire and empower pupils through art and design by providing them with opportunities to explore their creativity, build confidence, and express themselves. We encourage children to think critically about the world around them and develop a deep understanding of art in both a local and global context, learning about the cultural and historical significance of artistic movements. Our curriculum is designed to allow pupils to experiment, develop skills, and invent their own unique works of art, fostering both individual creativity and a love for the subject.

Implementation

Our art and design curriculum is implemented through the Kapow Primary scheme of work, ensuring that pupils meet the National Curriculum's end-of-key-stage attainment targets. The Kapow scheme of work is structured around five key strands that are revisited throughout each unit:

1. Making Skills
2. Formal Elements (Line, Shape, Tone, Texture, Pattern, Colour)
3. Knowledge of Artists
4. Evaluating
5. Creativity and Independence

Each unit builds on the previous one, revisiting key skills and formal elements to ensure deepening understanding and application. The curriculum follows a spiral model, where concepts are revisited with increasing complexity, allowing children to continually develop and refine their artistic abilities. Pupils are given the chance to explore and experiment practically in every lesson, documenting their progress in sketchbooks, and applying their skills to create original art.

We provide a range of differentiated materials to ensure accessibility for all students and offer opportunities for greater challenge where needed. With support from subject specialists and teacher videos, educators can confidently teach the curriculum, even if they lack their own artistic expertise. The use of knowledge organisers in each unit helps pupils build a solid foundation of factual knowledge and key vocabulary, enhancing their understanding of the subject matter. Through cross-curricular links, children can further develop their artistic knowledge within a broader context.

Impact

By following the Kapow Primary curriculum, we aim for children to leave Wessex Gardens Primary School equipped with a well-rounded set of artistic skills and a deep sense of confidence in their creativity. The expected outcomes of our curriculum include:

• Creative Work Production: Pupils will produce their own artwork, drawing inspiration from their ideas and experiences.
• Proficiency in Techniques: Pupils will be proficient in a range of artistic techniques such as drawing, painting, sculpture, and other forms of craft and design.
• Evaluation and Reflection: Children will be able to evaluate their own work and the works of others using subject-specific language, demonstrating both reflective thinking and critical skills.
• Knowledge of Artists and Art History: Pupils will be familiar with significant artists and movements, with a clear understanding of the cultural and historical context of art.
• Progression in Artistic Development: At the end of each key stage, pupils will meet the expectations set out in the National Curriculum for Art and Design, and will be well-prepared for the next stage of their education.

Through continuous formative and summative assessments, we ensure that pupils are developing the skills necessary to progress in art and design, and we encourage pupils to take an active role in evaluating their learning. This ongoing process will help them reflect on their progress, understand areas for improvement, and grow their metacognitive skills. Ultimately, we aim for pupils to leave primary school with the creativity, skills, and knowledge to continue developing their artistic potential throughout their educational journey.