Art and Design

Art Curriculum Intent

At St Mary’s we value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. Art and Design provides the children with the opportunities to develop and extend skills and an opportunity to express their individual interests, thoughts and ideas. Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should 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, they should be able to think critically, become problem solvers and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our culture and the culture of others who live in different parts of the world.

Our Art and Design Curriculum emphasises core knowledge in the ways of making art, including drawing, painting and sculpture, as well as its history and cultural development and those artists and craftspeople who have contributed to it. Plenty of opportunities are offered to ensure children practice, reflect and improve on their techniques in colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space through a variety of inspiring and challenging activities, gradually developing in skill and confidence. Ultimately, children use this to express themselves creatively in a wide range of contexts. Repeated use of techniques, processes and a range of media is carefully planned for, ensuring children make progress and greatly increase their knowledge and understanding of the world and their place within it.