At Willow, we believe that art and design is a vital and integral part of children’s education. It
provides them with the opportunities to develop and extend skills and a chance to express their
individual interests, thoughts and ideas.
Our aim is to engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to
experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design.
As pupils progress, we aim to enable them to think more critically and develop a more rigorous
understanding of art and design. Pupils will learn how art and design both reflect and shape our
history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
Intent
We aim to:
● Deliver an ambitious art curriculum based on elements of art, allowing children to acquire
and develop skills throughout their time at Willow in a range of disciplines including
painting, drawing, 3D, textiles, collage and printmaking
● Introduce children to a range of artists from different periods of history and different
cultures, giving them time to study and be inspired by the work of other artists
● Ensure children understand that art is about expression and that there is no ‘right’ and
‘wrong’, allowing them to express their own style and ideas in their work
● Create a sense of pride in children by displaying their works of art and celebrating their
efforts
● Encourage children to evaluate and analyse their work and the work of others (including key
artists) in order to further develop their critical abilities
● Provide a wide range of opportunities and experiences to enable children to gain a lifelong
appreciation for art
Implementation
● Art elements at the core of projects
At the heart of the Art curriculum are the key elements of art that underpin the projects
undertaken in each year group. The elements are explored simply in EYFS. In KS1 art
elements are explicitly introduced by name and children engage in activities to explore
them. In KS2, art elements are discussed in all projects and these projects allow children to
explore and practise techniques which showcase understanding of the elements.
⮚ Shape - a flat (2D) area surrounded by an outline or edge
⮚ Line – lines are used to show movement and mood
⮚ Colour - is used to convey atmosphere and mood
⮚ Value - the intensity of colour and depends on the amount of white added
⮚ Form - artists use form when they create sculptures. These are 3D shapes
⮚ Texture - the look and feel of a surface
⮚ Space - space in artwork makes a flat image look like it has depth
● Exploring Art in different forms
Throughout their time at Willow, children will have the opportunity to explore many forms
of art which allows for a rich appreciation of art in all its forms. All year groups will learn new
skills and build on previously taught techniques in drawing, painting and 3D sculpture. In
EYFS, Year 2 and Year 6, children will learn about collage; in EYFS, Year 1 and Year 4 they will
learn about printmaking; in Year 3 and Year 5 they will learn about textiles. Art will be taught
every term, either in weekly lessons or in blocks.
● Studying a range of artists
Throughout their time at Willow, children will learn about artists, both past and present,
from all corners of the world. We believe that representation matters, so artists are selected
to reflect our diverse world. Children will have the opportunity to compare styles and
discuss their opinions of the artwork that is produced by these artists.
● Clear sequence of lessons
All lessons are clearly planned and structured, allowing children to develop essential
knowledge and skills. In KS1 & KS2 lessons follow the following structure to ensure
consistency
⮚ Explore/ Appreciation of artists – learn about the artist and study examples of their
work, be inspired by artworks or texts that will be used to inspire their project
⮚ Experiment – Learn and practice the key skills and knowledge needed for the
project, using a variety of media and techniques
⮚ Design - Produce ideas for own artwork, inspired by key artists, artwork or texts
⮚ Create – select appropriate media to produce own artwork
⮚ Evaluate - Evaluate own work and the work of others to enhance skills.
Throughout the sequence, children will have opportunities to investigate art, reflect,
discuss and debate with pupils. They will consider why art has been produced, the
mood and feelings that they invoke as well as opportunities to express their own
opinions. This will lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of art and allow
children to think like an art critic.
● Use creative art books
These books are used to collect and comment on artwork from key artists; collect ideas for
own art pieces; and develop a record of skills linked to the key art elements taught.
● Strong vocabulary development
In each project, new vocabulary is taught and used throughout. It is carefully planned to be
built on as children progress through school.
● Critically evaluating work
All children are encouraged to comment and reflect on their own work and the work of
others in an age-appropriate way. In EYFS children talk about their work & techniques used,
and in KS1 this develops to commenting on how their work could be improved. In KS2
children evaluate their own and each other’s work (via post-its), commenting on
effectiveness & accuracy of key skills taught. Children stick post-its into each other’s books
when doing a ‘class gallery’, in which children walk around exploring all of the art in the
room. This encourages children to think critically about art and to respond appropriately to
feedback. In UKS2, children will have a greater understanding that the quality of art is
subjective and linked to personal tastes.
Throughout their time at Willow, children will develop appreciation for the art work of
others and will be able to express their opinions freely. They will understand that art is
subjective and that there are no right/wrong rules when it comes to their art.
Impact – How will we know we have achieved our aims?
● Art and design will be loved by teachers and pupils across school.
● Children will know more and remember more.
● Children can discuss artwork from different artists and explain how these have inspired
them in their own projects.
● Children understand that art is subjective and they will produce work that draws inspiration
from others but is ultimately an expression of themselves.
● Children will develop competence in key skills and knowledge, which is evident through their
work and through discussion.
● Children’s work will be proudly displayed in school and children are keen to share their work
with others.
● Children will improve their enquiry skills and inquisitiveness about the world around them,
and their impact through art and design on the world.
● Children will have more resilience and perseverance by continually evaluating and improving
their work.
● All children in school will be able to speak confidently about their art and design work and
their skills, using technical vocabulary that has been taught.