Art

At St Mary’s Shawbury Primary School, we are committed to providing our children with an Art & Design curriculum that is creative, reflective and encourages a positive attitude towards their learning and other ventures.

Intent of Our Art Curriculum

At St Mary’s, our art curriculum is designed to inspire and nurture creativity, self-expression, and confidence in every child. We aim to provide students with a broad understanding of artistic techniques, styles, and cultural influences, encouraging them to develop their own unique artistic voice. Our curriculum aligns with the National Curriculum’s goals, ensuring that children acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to become proficient artists. Through engaging and varied lessons, we intend to foster an appreciation of art, encouraging children to express their emotions, ideas, and individuality while building key skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Implementation of Our Art Curriculum

We deliver our art curriculum through carefully planned and sequenced lessons that build upon children’s existing skills and knowledge as they progress through the school. Each year group explores different artistic techniques such as drawing, painting, sculpture, and digital media, ensuring a well-rounded experience of both 2D and 3D art forms. Our teachers use a variety of resources, including real-world examples from famous artists, to inspire creativity and deepen students’ understanding of artistic processes. Additionally, art is often integrated with other subjects, allowing children to apply their creativity to topics in history, science, and literature. Practical activities are complemented by opportunities for reflection and critique, encouraging students to evaluate their work and the work of others constructively.

Impact of Our Art Curriculum

The impact of our art curriculum is evident in the confident, creative, and reflective learners it nurtures. By the end of their time at St Mary’s, students will have developed a solid foundation in key artistic skills, including drawing, painting, sculpture, and digital media. They will have an understanding of a range of artistic styles and historical contexts, empowering them to appreciate and create art with confidence. Moreover, through art, students build resilience, problem-solving abilities, and an eye for detail, which are transferable skills valuable across all areas of learning. The vibrant displays of student artwork throughout the school showcase the personal growth and diverse talents of our pupils, reflecting the positive impact of our curriculum on their creativity and self-expression.

Great Artist Celebrated in our Curriculum

The St Mary’s art curriculum encompasses a diverse selection of artists. Some are studied in depth, whilst others are encountered more briefly. This allows for a large range of artists to be showcased. The artists selected are both traditionally acclaimed and contemporary artists from across the globe.

 

The students will revisit the work of many artists across year groups and units. These include some of the works of Tariku Shiferaw, Mr Doodle, Oscar Ukonu, Christa Rijneveld, Dapo Adeola, and Nora Sherwood. The curriculum further exposes learners to various disciplines, such as the disabled artist Sarah Biffin, who created miniatures for royalty, a contemporary photographer from Benin, and ceramists Kate Malone and Vanessa Hodge. The students will study pottery from throughout history as well as from the modern day. They also meet artists involved in sustainability, such as architect Kathryn Larsen and digital artist Je Hong. More traditional artists such as Vincent van Gogh and William Morris also feature.

Art Curriculum Progression Documents

Progression and structure through the art curriculum is supported by a ‘threshold concepts’. The ‘threshold concepts’ are what pupils should understand and underpin the breadth of study.  These include:

• Developing ideas
• Mastering techniques
• Take inspiration from the greats

The children return to each concept again and again through each area in the curriculum breadth.  This helps the children develop as artists and designers, and secures the concept development into long term memory and allows for progression. This increases their knowledge of the areas of Art over time.

Progression Grids for Art:

Art Curriculum overview Cycle A

Art Curriculum overview Cycle B

Art-scheme-Cycle-A

Art-scheme-Cycle-B

Art Vocabulary Progression

Great Artist Celebrated in Our Curriculum