Art curriculum Intent
At Fairstead Community Primary and Nursery school we want to develop a range of artistic skills in all children
at all levels by ensuring we hold high expectations of what children can achieve. We will teach a skills-based
curriculum, providing children with provocations that allow them to produce high-quality end pieces that they
are incredibly proud of and want to share with others.
Art embodies some of the highest forms of human creativity. High quality art should engage, inspire and
challenge children, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own
works of art. As children progress, they should think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of
art and design. They should also know that art and design both reflect our current and past history and
contribute to culture and creativity.
Aims
The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:
produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
Know about great artists, craft makers and designers and understand the historical and cultural
development of their art forms.
Curriculum Implementation
The teaching and implementation of the Art curriculum at Fairstead Community Primary and Nursery school is
based on the National Curriculum and is broken down into learning objectives through threshold concepts and
milestones for progress these build on prior learning through The Essentials Curriculum to ensure a well structured approach to develop ideas, master techniques and take inspiration from the greats.
Our sequencing plan from Year 1 – Year 6 highlights key questions to support assessment which will enable
children to and provide clear assessment points by the end of year statements, through:
Disciplines
Key concepts
Themes
Medium
Artists
Share, reflect & discuss
Art skills are taught through 36 pathways drawing & sketch books, print, colour & collage, working in three
dimensions, paint, surface & texture, working in three dimensions and collaboration & community.
Early Years Foundation Stage EYFS – Expressive Arts and Design
The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is
important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play
with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in
is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through
the arts. The frequency, repetition and depth of their experiences are fundamental to their progress in
interpreting and appreciating what they hear, respond to and observe.
Statuary Framework for the early years foundation stage September 2021
Expressive Arts and Design ELG:
Creating with Materials: Children at the expected level of development will:
– Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design,
texture, form and function.
– Share their creations, explaining the process they have used.
– Make use of props and materials when role playing characters in narratives and stories.
Aims
The aims of our EYFS art curriculum are:
To encourage children to explore creativity in a holistic way.
To encourage an open-ended exploration of materials, ideas and techniques.
To encourage children to value the journey over or alongside outcome
To encourage children to explore notions of “identity”, gain the confidence to share their exploration and
their thoughts, and to learn to appreciate and respect that others might have different experiences of
their own identity.
To encourage children to work together as a team, as well as value their ability to work alone.
To demonstrate that drawing, mark-making, making etc are physical as well as mental activities in which
the mind and the body are involved.
To demonstrate that every individual has the power to create and make, to manipulate and contribute to
the world, for the enjoyment of themselves and for others.
EYFS art curriculum is grouped around seven areas of exploration:
What Can We See?
How Can We Explore Colour?
How Can We Build Worlds?
How Can We Explore Materials & Marks?
How Can We Explore 3d Materials?
How Can We Use Our Bodies To Make Art?
How Can We Use Our Imaginations?
Within each area of exploration activities enable an open-ended, playful exploration of materials, processes and
ideas, which in turn nurture dexterity skills, promote an early understanding of visual literacy skills, and begin
to build children’s confidence in their ability to make personal, creative response to a stimuli.
The seven areas of exploration provide children with the opportunities and experiences to
Build dexterity skills
Explore materials and mark making in a playful way
Use bodies and imaginations to inspire making
Explore how they can reflect and share their views about what they have seen or made
Explore how art enriches our lives
Key stage 1
Pupils should be taught:
to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products
to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination
to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form
and space
about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and
similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.
Key stage 2
Pupils should be taught to develop their techniques, including their control and use of materials, with creativity,
experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.
Pupils should be taught:
to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas
to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a
range of materials [for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay]
about great artists, architects and designers in history
Curriculum impact
Within art, we recognise it is a joyful and unique subject enabling creativity which is precious and should be
cherished. Emphasis is placed on a spiral curriculum where skills and techniques are taught and revisited,
through threshold and milestones.
Our art curriculum is high quality, well planned out and demonstrates progression. We focus on progression to
develop ideas, master techniques and take inspiration from the greats.
We use assessment to ensure children are working towards their creative potential by providing learning
opportunities in materials, techniques, concepts, awareness of other artists and experiences. Assessment is a
holistic practice which takes place during every art lesson through an ongoing conversation with children, our
progression plan provided teachers with assessment questions and by the end of year children should be able to
achieve their milestones across all art skills.
“Creativity is a fragile process that is hard to measure and assess and should always be
nurtured and supported.” Access Art