Our Art & Design Curriculum

PLEASE NOTE: We are currently refreshing our Art & Design Curriculum, through the introduction of a new scheme of work. 

This is being introduced from the second half of the Spring Term, into the Summer Term of 2024.

New topics have been carefully selected to ensure continuity and progression with our existing scheme, and avoid any repetition or omission in the required elements of the curriculum.

The full scheme will be in place from the start of the new academic year 2024-2025, and all plans and supporting information will be updated below, accordingly.

'Artist of the Week'

Each week, our children find out about a different famous artist.

They have opportunities each morning, during our wellbeing sessions at the start of the day, to see and respond to the work of a range of famous artists. Children are encouraged to engage with the art and artists they encounter, and be inspired to create their own art work in a similar - or contrasting - style.

Have a look at some of the famous artists we have studied, below...

Progression of Skills in Art & Design

Please see the document below, which sets out the Art & Design skills taught year on year at Our Lady & St Patrick's

National Curriculum Programme of Study - Art & Design

Our Vision Statement - Art & Design

At Our Lady & St Patrick's, children's work in Art and Design is closely linked to the topics they are studying. We aim to teach Art and Design in an engaging and creative way, which fires children's imagination. 

Our aspiration is to ensure that children are engaged, inspired and challenged through their work in art & design. We believe that art stimulates creativity, imagination and inventiveness and we want all children to be able to enjoy, engage, respond and express themselves fully and confidently in art and design.

Aims

Art should enable the children to communicate what they see, feel and think.

Children should experiment with their ideas, their use of colour, texture, form, pattern and different materials and processes, enabling them to  develop and secure their skill base and become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.

Children are encouraged to use their skills to create their own independent works of art, craft and design. In order to achieve their best work, the students will have access to a range of good quality resources that will support each topic and enable a confident approach.  

At Our Lady & St Patrick's, we aim to provide the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of art and design by exploring various artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms and their impact on culture and history. 

Subject Content 
 

Key Stage 1 Pupils are 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.
• To begin to use sketch books, to record their work 

Key Stage 2 Pupils are taught:

• to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.  
• 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. 

Resources

One resource we are very proud of here at Our Lady & St Patrick's is our wonderful natural environment. Where possible, the children are often taken outside to draw in the natural light, in the woods and under the trees, making fantastic observations of colours and seasonal change. We encourage them to ask questions about what they see, and encourage them to be explorers of the world around them. 

Our Art & Design leader ensures that our art & design resources are well-stocked and regularly refreshed, to ensure that all classes have access to high quality, well-stocked art & deign materials, to support their learning and progression of skills.

Inclusive Practice