Subject: Art and Design
Christian Value: Hope and Courage

Intent

At Kirby Hill Church of England Primary School, our Art and Design curriculum is guided by our Christian vision that “All things are possible for one who believes”, and is deeply rooted in our ACHIEVE curriculum drivers:

·       Aspire

·       Challenge

·       Honour every individual

·       Inspire curiosity and creativity

·       Embed strong values

·       Value community and global connections

·       Empower through knowledge

Using the Kapow Primary scheme as a basis, our intent is to aspire for all children to become confident, creative individuals who enjoy expressing themselves visually and imaginatively. We challenge pupils to take creative risks, to develop resilience in refining their ideas, and to articulate meaning through visual language.

Our curriculum honours every individual, ensuring that Art and Design is inclusive, accessible and relevant to all learners regardless of starting point or background. It aims to inspire curiosity and creativity, nurturing children’s natural sense of wonder and imagination as they explore different media, techniques, and styles

We embed strong values - such as resilience, responsibility, and compassion -through collaborative work and self-reflection. Our Christian Values for this subject are Hope and Courage.  Hope helps children to persevere with challenges, believing that their efforts can turn aspiration into reality. Alongside this, we foster courage, encouraging pupils to take risks in their art, stand by their ideas, and learn from mistakes.  Children are inspired to be bold, resilient, and creative, even when things are difficult.

Through exploring artists across cultures and history, and engaging with contemporary art and design, we value our community and global connections, helping children understand how art reflects shape and challenges society. By building technical skills, encouraging independent choice, and developing evaluative thinking, we empower pupils with the confidence and knowledge to flourish – in school and in life.

Art and Design at Kirby Hill is not just about creating artwork - it's about developing thoughtful, expressive, and capable young people ready to engage with the challenges of a fast-changing world.

Implementation

Our Art and Design curriculum follows the Kapow Primary Scheme, ensuring progression and breadth through a spiral curriculum where skills are revisited with increasing complexity.

The curriculum is built around five strands that run throughout:

·       Generating ideas

·       Using sketchbooks

·       Making skills, including the formal elements (line, shape, tone, texture, pattern, colour)

·       Knowledge of artists

·       Evaluating and analysing

Children engage in four key areas that spiral through the curriculum, allowing them to revisit and build on prior learning with increasing depth:

·       Drawing

·       Painting and mixed media

·       Sculpture and 3D

·       Craft and design

Lessons are practical and exploratory, encouraging creativity, experimentation, and self-expression. Pupils are guided to document their ideas in sketchbooks, reflect on their creative journey, and develop independent artistic voices. Differentiated guidance ensures accessibility for all learners, while opportunities for challenge stretch pupils. Knowledge organisers and clear progression documents support pupils’ understanding and recall of key vocabulary, concepts and techniques.

Strong subject knowledge is vital for staff to be able to deliver a highly effective and robust Art and Design curriculum. Teacher confidence is supported through regular CPD and dedicated subject leadership time, helping ensure all children receive high-quality learning experiences.

We alternate our Art and Design teaching every half-term with Design Technology.

Impact

The impact of Art and Design is constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Each lesson teachers assess pupils against the learning objective, and teachers track progress through unit outcomes, sketchbooks and pupil self-reflection.

By the end of each key stage, pupils will have developed a deep and secure understanding of the skills and knowledge outlined in the National Curriculum. They will have the confidence to explore, create and present imaginative work, becoming proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and a range of other art, craft and design techniques. They will also be able to evaluate and analyse their own outcomes, as well as the work of others.

Our Children will:

·       Produce creative work, exploring and recording their ideas and experiences.

·       Be proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture, and other art, craft, and design techniques.

·       Evaluate and analyse creative works using subject-specific language.

·       Know about the great artists, craft makers, designers, and the historical and cultural development of their art.

·       Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Art and Design.

·       Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Computing.

·       Make connections between their learning, their Christian values, and real-world issues.

Ultimately, our Art and Design curriculum equips children with not only the technical skills and knowledge they need for future learning, but also the character, confidence, self-belief and courage to express themselves through challenges and engage meaningfully with the world around them - guided by hope, love, and a sense of purpose.