Our Art and Design Curriculum (Intent)

Our bespoke art and design curriculum at Springhead is ambitious, inclusive and creatively rich. It is designed to develop pupils’ imagination, independence and confidence while fostering a lifelong appreciation and enjoyment of art, while fully meeting the expectations of the EYFS Framework and the National Curriculum.

We aim to develop pupils’ knowledge of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, exploring how art communicates ideas, emotions and individuality. Through drawing, painting, sculpture and mixed media, pupils learn to select and use materials, tools and techniques skilfully and inventively, ensuring purposeful outcomes.

 

Learning is carefully sequenced so pupils build and revisit core artistic concepts such as colour, pattern, texture, shape and form. Opportunities for observation, memory, imagination and experimentation foster creativity and originality.

Reflection is embedded throughout the curriculum, with pupils discussing and evaluating their own work and that of others using appropriate vocabulary. This develops resilience, critical thinking and pride, enabling pupils to see themselves as artists equipped with the confidence, skills and curiosity to create and explore.

 

Our full Art and Design Policy can be accessed using the link below.

Policies

Art and Design Dashboard Documents

Each year group has its own Art and Design Dashboard Document, which provides a clear overview of what pupils will learn in art and design and how learning is structured across the year. Each document brings together the following elements:

  • Programme of Study – an overview of the artistic knowledge (what pupils will know) and skills (what pupils will be able to do) that will be taught throughout the year.
  • Small‑Step Learning Sequences and Knowledge Builders – detailed, step‑by‑step progression of component knowledge and key vocabulary for every unit (e.g., line and tone, texture and pattern), ensuring pupils develop secure understanding through manageable chunks of learning.
  • Suggested Lesson Sequences – example lesson‑by‑lesson guidance showing how units could be taught, including BAD (Basic/Advancing/Deep) statements to support in‑lesson assessment.
  • Pupil Reference Sheets and Assessment Materials – pupil‑friendly knowledge organisers to support retrieval and measure understanding.
  • Signfiicant Artists (and artwork), Architects and Designers – a wide selection of artists, architects and designers that may be stuided and used to ehance pupils' cultural capital.

Year 1 Art and design
Dashboard Document

Year 2 Art and design
Dashboard Document

Year 3 Art and design
Dashboard Document

Year 4 Art and Design
Dashboard Document

Year 5 ART AND DESIGN
Dashboard Document

Year 6 ART AND DESIGN
Dashboard Document

Lesson Pathway

Every art and design lesson begins with an opportunity for pupils to retrieve, revisit and consolidate prior learning—this is our Smart Start. These questions draw on:

  • What pupils learned last lesson
  • What pupils learned in the last unit
  • What they learned the last time they studied the current unit (last link)
  • What they learned last year

Lessons then move into a discussion of the learning journey, including the learning objective and BAD statements, which outline the depth at which pupils will engage with new content.

Key vocabulary is introduced before new learning is modelled using our ‘I Do – We Do – You Do’ structure, with low‑stakes quizzing interwoven throughout to support assessment and retrieval.

Assessment

Our approach to assessment aims to give timely feedback that moves learning forward. We use both formative and summative assessment to evaluate pupils’ understanding, knowledge and skills. This includes:

  • Smart Start activities
  • Live marking and feedback during independent tasks
  • Class discussions
  • Targeted questioning

Teachers also make summative judgements at the end of each unit, considering both substantive knowledge and pupils’ ability to demonstrate artistic skills.