Our Vision: Creating, Expressing, Inspiring

At John Wilkinson Primary School, we believe art is more than just creativity – it’s a powerful form of communication, self-expression, and cultural understanding. Our vision is to inspire children to think, work, and communicate like artists, equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to engage with the world through creative expression.

Through exploring diverse artistic traditions, experimenting with materials, and studying influential artists, children learn how art reflects and shapes society. They won’t just create art – they’ll understand its power to inspire change and connect communities.

Intent: Inspiring Creativity and Critical Thinking

Our art and design curriculum is built around evidence-informed practice, ensuring that pupils develop the skills, knowledge, and understanding to think and work like artists. By engaging with the four core principles of community, communication, creativity, and craft, pupils explore how art reflects and influences the world around them.

Our curriculum is designed to:

• Foster Creative Expression:
  Children explore their own ideas, experiences, and emotions through a range of artistic disciplines, including drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles, sculpture, and collage.
• Build Community:
  Collaborative projects encourage children to share ideas, appreciate different perspectives, and understand how art brings people together.
• Develop Communication Skills:
  Pupils learn to describe, analyse, and evaluate artwork using precise artistic vocabulary, developing the language to express their ideas confidently.
• Make Connections:
  Through studying artists from diverse backgrounds, children explore how art reflects cultural identities and historical moments, drawing links between past and present.
• Embrace Change:
  Pupils explore how artists challenge conventions, inspire social change, and reflect personal and societal transformations.

Ultimately, our art curriculum nurtures confident, creative thinkers who understand how art shapes and reflects the world.

Implementation: Building Artistic Knowledge and Skills

Our carefully sequenced curriculum ensures children build artistic skills progressively across year groups. Each year revisits core disciplines – drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles, 3D, and collage – allowing pupils to develop their skills with increasing complexity.

Key features of our approach include:

• Adaptive Teaching:
  Teachers use formative assessment to identify gaps and adjust teaching accordingly. Lessons are tailored to meet individual needs through strategies such as:

   

  • Scaffolding: Visual prompts, step-by-step demonstrations, and success criteria guide pupils through artistic processes.
  • Choice of Tools and Media: Pupils can select materials that suit their skill level, promoting independence while ensuring accessibility.
  • Flexible Grouping: Children work individually, in pairs, or collaboratively, depending on the task and their confidence.
  • Technology: Digital art platforms, virtual galleries, and design apps expand creative possibilities.
  • Adult Support: Teaching assistants provide additional guidance, modelling techniques and encouraging reflection.
• Sketchbooks as Learning Journeys:
  Every pupil uses a sketchbook to record ideas, experiment with techniques, and reflect on progress. These sketchbooks are not only a record of learning but also a space for creative exploration and personal expression.
• Retrieval Practice:
  Regular low-stakes quizzes, vocabulary checks, and quick-fire questioning reinforce previous learning and artistic terminology.
• Vocabulary Development:
  Artistic vocabulary is introduced progressively, with Tier 2 words (descriptive language) supporting the understanding of Tier 3 words (technical terms).
• Working Artistically:
  Each module develops specific competencies, such as observational drawing, colour mixing, or sculpture techniques, while encouraging pupils to think critically about their creative choices.
• Real-World Connections:
  Children study artists from different cultures, historical periods, and artistic movements, understanding how art reflects societal values and challenges conventions.

Impact: Confident, Creative Communicators

We assess pupils’ progress through ongoing teacher judgement, ensuring children develop both technical skills and creative thinking. Assessment focuses on the process of creating art, not just the final product.

How we measure impact:

• Formative Assessment:
  Teachers assess understanding through questioning, observation, and pupil discussion during lessons.
• Sketchbook Reviews:
  Regular checks of sketchbooks provide insight into how pupils develop ideas, experiment with techniques, and reflect on their learning.
• Oracy and Vocabulary Tasks:
  Pupils articulate their thinking using subject-specific language, evaluating their own work and the work of others.
• Self and Peer Assessment:
  Children engage in reflective dialogue, discussing what went well and how they can improve.
• Vocabulary Quizzes:
  Pupils demonstrate understanding and application of artistic terminology.
• Summative Assessment:
  At the end of each block, teachers use exemplifications to assess whether pupils are working at the expected standard.

Assessment is in-action, focusing on how pupils think and work as artists, not just the end product. This approach helps teachers identify gaps, reshape teaching, and support individual needs.

Our Vision in Action: Creating, Expressing, Inspiring

By the time children leave John Wilkinson Primary School, they will not only have developed strong artistic skills but also the confidence and creativity to express themselves and engage with the world.

They’ll be able to:
– Use a wide range of artistic techniques with confidence.
– Communicate ideas and emotions through different media.
– Analyse and evaluate artwork using precise vocabulary.
– Understand how art reflects and influences culture and society.

In short, they won’t just make art – they’ll understand how creativity can inspire change and connect communities.

Our drivers shape what they learn; our values shape what they become.

Our Art Long-Term Plan and Progression Documents outline a carefully sequenced journey that nurtures creativity, develops technical skills, and inspires every child to express themselves with confidence and pride.

ART LONG TERM PLAN

ART PROGRESSION