Intent

At St Mary’s, we encourage children’s artistic development from Reception through to Year 6, nurturing artistic confidence and self- expression.

Our Art curriculum is taught through three strands:

• Painting
• 3D Shape and Form
• Surface Pattern and Print

All strands are underpinned by drawing and sketchbook work.

Each learning journey involves children studying an artist’s work in detail. The artist or artwork is chosen as a strong example of its kind to stimulate curiosity, imagination and creativity.

Artists and artworks are selected from a broad range, including from historical periods such as Ancient Greece and the Vikings, to contemporary artists including Andy Goldsworthy and Paula Scher.

Where appropriate, the Art curriculum makes links with history, science and geography if this helps children understand an artist or artwork more fully. 

Following an appreciation of the artist/designer’s work, children will have the chance to imitate part of the artwork or skill demonstrated in the artworks. Once they have developed confidence and skills to imitate what they have observed and understood, they innovate their own works by using and applying the new knowledge and skills taught.

Children are also encouraged to evaluate their artworks and those of others, describing how they made their work, indicating parts which have been particularly successful, and suggesting ways in which their work might be modified or improved.