Subject leader - Mrs H. Andrews

What we want children to learn 

At Kempshott Junior School, our Art and Design curriculum is rich, inclusive and ambitious, inspiring all pupils to thrive and develop as confident, creative and reflective artists. We aim for every child to acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to express themselves creatively, appreciate artistic achievement and engage critically with the visual world around them.

Our curriculum is underpinned by the Kapow Art and Design scheme of work, which we have carefully adapted and sequenced to meet the needs of our pupils and reflect the context of our school community. The curriculum is coherently sequenced to ensure that pupils build secure knowledge and understanding over time across the key areas of drawing, painting and mixed media, sculpture and 3D, craft and design, and digital art. Through this progression, pupils develop both substantive knowledge, including artistic techniques, materials, processes and vocabulary, and disciplinary knowledge, learning how artists create, refine, evaluate and communicate ideas through their work.

Art and Design is taught as a discrete subject, allowing pupils to develop subject-specific expertise while making meaningful connections to wider learning. Pupils are encouraged to experiment, take creative risks and develop their own artistic voice. Through regular opportunities to explore, practise and refine techniques, they learn to work with increasing confidence, independence and skill.

Pupils study the work of a diverse range of artists, craftspeople and designers from different cultures, historical periods and backgrounds. They learn to analyse and discuss artwork using appropriate artistic vocabulary, developing an understanding of how art reflects and shapes societies, cultures and individual experiences.

Literacy is meaningfully embedded throughout the curriculum. Pupils use subject-specific vocabulary to discuss and evaluate artwork, communicate their ideas and reflect on their creative processes. Opportunities for discussion and written reflection support the development of critical thinking and articulate expression.

Our curriculum reflects a ‘windows and mirrors’ approach, ensuring that pupils see themselves, their communities and their experiences represented within the art they study, while also encountering diverse perspectives and artistic traditions from around the world. This helps pupils develop cultural understanding, curiosity and respect for different forms of creative expression.

We believe that all pupils should experience the full breadth and richness of the Art and Design curriculum. Teachers adapt learning through appropriate support, modelling and resource provision to remove barriers and enable pupils to make progress, while maintaining ambition and challenge for every learner.

Through our Art and Design curriculum, pupils develop creativity, technical proficiency and critical appreciation, enabling them to apply their knowledge, evaluate their work with increasing sophistication and articulate their understanding of art and design confidently. They leave Kempshott Junior School with the confidence to express themselves, the ability to think imaginatively and the knowledge to understand and value the role of art and design in the wider world.

 

Our Curriculum

The long-term curriculum overview shows the Art and Design units children study in each year group. Our progression document explains how pupils build on their previous learning, developing their artistic knowledge, understanding and techniques as they move through Key Stage 2.

 

What Children Learn

Select a year group to explore the units and knowledge organisers.