Art and Design

The Polygon School - Arts Mark Gold Award

Art and Design Curriculum Overview

Intent

At Moreland Primary School, our Art and Design curriculum is designed to:

Inspire creativity, curiosity, and self-expression through a broad and inclusive exploration of artistic media and design principles.
Develop pupils’ practical skills in drawing, painting, sculpture, and mixed media while encouraging experimentation and personal style.
Build pupils’ knowledge of influential artists, craft makers, and designers from a range of genres, cultures, and historical periods.
Enrich cultural capital through access to high-quality visual art experiences, including visits to galleries, working with professional artists, and exhibiting their own work to authentic audiences.
Foster appreciation and critical understanding of visual culture and its role in society and personal identity.

Implementation

Art and Design is taught in focused units across the year groups with progression in both knowledge and technique:

Skills Progression: Pupils are taught core techniques in drawing, colour, texture, form, pattern, and composition using a wide range of materials and tools.
Studying Artists and Designers:
- Each unit is enriched by the study of diverse artists, designers, and craft makers, including both historic and contemporary figures from a range of backgrounds and artistic movements.
- Pupils learn to analyse, interpret, and respond to works of art, developing visual literacy and an appreciation of global artistic heritage.
Cultural Capital Experiences:
- Trips to museums and galleries give pupils first-hand encounters with significant works of art.
- Workshops with professional artists provide inspiration and enhance technical skill.
- Exhibiting their work within the school and local community helps pupils value their creativity and share it with others.
Cross-Curricular Links: Art and Design is linked to broader curriculum themes to support contextual understanding.
Sketchbooks: Used throughout as working journals to explore ideas, reflect on processes and refine skills.

Impact

The impact of our Art and Design curriculum is seen in:

Progressive Skill Development: Pupils gain technical competence in a variety of artistic techniques such as shading, colour mixing, brushwork, sculpture, and printmaking. They show increasing control, refinement, and independence in their creative choices.
Strong Subject Knowledge: Children develop an understanding of key artistic concepts, vocabulary (e.g. tone, texture, perspective), and the historical and cultural context of artworks.
Critical Thinking and Analysis: Pupils can discuss and evaluate artworks thoughtfully using appropriate terminology, comparing styles and making personal responses.
Culturally Enriched and Inspired Learners: Experiences with professional artists and visits to cultural venues broaden pupils’ horizons and deepen their appreciation for art in society.
Pride and Confidence in Creativity: Pupils value their own creative work and enjoy opportunities to share and celebrate it, contributing to their personal development and self-esteem.

Art and Design at Moreland

At Moreland, we believe that the teaching of art and design should facilitate all children to reach their creative potential. Every child is supported when learning art to develop their critical and creative thinking skills, build their knowledge and understanding of materials and techniques, have the opportunity to develop their own personal creative response to a variety of stimuli and learn about and be inspired by the work of a diverse range of artists and designers.

We have developed our own bespoke art and design curriculum at Moreland, aligned to the National Curriculum, working in partnership with artists from the Bow Arts Organisation and drawing on some of the curriculum resources provided by Access Arts. We have worked hard to ensure that this curriculum introduces children to a representative and diverse collection of artists and designers working in the past and today. Children are given opportunities to develop their cultural capital in art and design through this study and through curriculum enrichment such as visits to art galleries and museums and participating in workshops. In some classes art is taught by professional artists working with the Bow Arts organisation. We also aim to provide children with an understanding of careers in art and design through the study of artists working today and opportunities to meet those working in this field.

More information on the progression of knowledge and skills in art and design can be found in the Progression Map and Art and Design overview.