Art and Design

Subject Overview

Intent

At Sidlesham Primary School, our Art and Design curriculum nurtures every child’s creativity, imagination and cultural awareness. Through a carefully planned 3-year rolling programme, we ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum while meeting the needs of our mixed-age classes.

Our curriculum is designed to help children build both substantive knowledge (what they know about art) and disciplinary knowledge (what they can do as artists). Children explore a wide range of artists, craft makers and designers from different cultures, backgrounds and time periods. Through this, they learn to express identity, respond to the world around them, and develop their own artistic voice.

Implementation

Art is taught in a structured and progressive way, with all children in Years 1 to 6 following a clear cycle of Drawing (Autumn), Painting (Spring), and Sculpture (Summer) each year. This ensures a balanced and engaging curriculum across all year groups.

Each unit focuses on both knowledge and skills:

• Substantive knowledge includes techniques, art concepts, and understanding of key artists.
• Disciplinary knowledge includes the skills and processes pupils use when creating art.

Children use sketchbooks to record ideas, practise techniques, and reflect on their progress. Lessons are carefully sequenced to build towards a final outcome, often inspired by the work of a diverse artist. Teachers use clear planning documents with key vocabulary, skills, and learning goals to support high-quality teaching.

Impact

By the time children leave Sidlesham, they are confident, reflective young artists. They can:

• Use a wide range of tools and materials to draw, paint and sculpt.
• Talk about art using specific vocabulary and explain their creative choices.
• Recognise how art expresses identity, culture and personal experience.
• Create meaningful pieces of artwork with purpose and care.

We assess pupils through their sketchbooks and classwork, using a simple grid to track progress in both knowledge and skills. This approach gives us a clear picture of each child’s journey as an artist.

Art and Design Knowledge Organisers