Art

Intent

At Harpole Primary School we would like all pupils to recognise themselves as artists. We want to ensure pupils do not equate only their personal assessment of their drawing ability as their worth as an artist. In order to do that, we need to provide a wide range of artistic activities for pupils of all ages. Teaching must incorporate references to a broad spectrum of great artists, architects and designers, as well as providing a range of mediums to work with. The extensive range of skills taught aims to encourage a better understanding of the scope of art as an expression of creativity. The skills are split into ‘Pathways’ and show clear progression throughout the primary phase.

  • Drawing and sketchbooks
  • Print, colour and collage
  • Working in three dimensions
  • Paint, surface and texture
  • Collaboration and community

In order to reflect social changes and world events, teachers are given flexibility and are able to deliver art via discreet art lessons or embedded within other subjects. They can do so by adapting the year group pathways or through the introduction of additional projects, which reflect the children’s interests. Teachers are also able to collapse or extend lessons within the pathways as they see fit.

National Curriculum for Art: Purpose of study

Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Child initiated curriculum

Our topic-based curriculum allows pupils to build a body of knowledge and skills which has links and connections to lots of other types of learning about the world around them. Through promoting enquiring minds and a thirst for knowledge in a structured cross curriculum style there will inevitably be things that the children wish to learn about that are not pre-planned and scripted. Our curriculum is specifically designed to enable the class teachers to take up pupil-initiated learning and to embrace opportunities for child-initiated lines of investigation and enquiry that can never be planned for.

Our topic-based curriculum is designed to enable children to initiate and drive their own learning. The potential for overlap and revisiting topics should never be seen as a hinderance in responding to the direct opportunities presented by our pupils. By allowing teachers to have the freedom to embrace the pupil voice in their classrooms, learning is a fluid and dynamic process that blends with direct teaching of new content skills and knowledge and actively promotes curiosity and exploration of ideas and facts.

Early Years Foundation Stage for Art

‘Expressive Arts and Design’ within the Early Years encourages the development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness, whilst supporting their imagination and creativity. By providing regular opportunities to engage with the arts, children are able to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts. The frequency, repetition and depth of their experiences are also fundamental to their progress in interpreting and appreciating what they hear, respond to and observe.

Special educational needs and/or disabilities

At Harpole Primary School, our intention for special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is to ensure that all our children receive a high quality and ambitious education; regardless of need, disability or disadvantage. We believe that it is vital our pupils are equipped with the tools needed to become independent, inquisitive learners, both in and out the classroom, in order to be prepared for life.

Implementation

AccessArt Full Primary Curriculum

At Harpole Primary School, we implement the AccessArt Full Primary Curriculum to deliver a rich, diverse, and progressive art education that nurtures creativity, confidence, and visual literacy across all year groups. The AccessArt curriculum provides a broad and balanced programme, fully aligned with the National Curriculum, and structured around six core strands: Drawing & Sketchbooks; Print, Colour, Collage; Working in Three Dimensions; Paint, Surface, Texture; Working in Three Dimensions; Collaboration & Community.

Our implementation ensures:

  • High-quality teaching that prioritises process over product, encouraging experimentation, reflection, and personal response.
  • A spiral curriculum approach, where key skills and concepts are revisited and developed with increasing complexity from EYFS through to Year 6.
  • A strong focus on developing visual language, where pupils explore materials, techniques, and ideas in depth, supported by artists’ models and rich stimuli.
  • Weekly art sessions, carefully timetabled to ensure regular exposure and progression.
  • The use of sketchbooks from Year 1 upwards, fostering independence, ownership, and an ongoing record of pupils' artistic journeys.
  • Inclusive and accessible activities that enable all learners to succeed, including those with SEND.
  • Opportunities for cross-curricular links, whole-school projects, and celebration of pupils’ work through displays, exhibitions, and community events.

Staff are supported with teaching resources from AccessArt, ensuring confidence in delivering lessons that inspire creativity and meet the needs of our learners. Through this curriculum, children develop not only technical skills but also the resilience, critical thinking, and self-expression essential for lifelong learning in and beyond the arts.

Impact

Art Assessment Guidance

  • Reflecting the unique holistic and organic nature of Art; assessment and acknowledgment of progress should reflect this. Progression should be thought of as growth, reflecting where a child has started from in their journey and the direction they are moving. All children should have space to achieve, be enthused about looking at, making and talking about Art and have the opportunity to express themselves in ways appropriate to them.

Therefore;

  • Holistic assessment in Art should recognise growth as a spiral or series of concentric circles, with a child’s early experiences in the centre.
  • Holistic assessment should be useful and gentle, looking beyond technical skills and focusing on developing personal understanding and traits and behaviours.
  • Holistic assessment should always be judgement free, generous, encouraging and celebratory.
  • Holistic assessment should always be explicit; never hidden.
  • Holistic assessment should always be a conversation with a child to understand where the child is at and helping them to grow. It should focus on listening and working together, ownership and confidence and articulation and reflection. It should provide them with the skills to be self-aware, skills to self-analyse, skills to self-assess and skills to steer.
  • Assessment should never take single points out of context and should focus on evidencing, rather than assessing.
  • Holistic assessment should gather evidence and provide talking opportunities for students to articulate their thoughts and reflect upon their work.
  • Assessment should acknowledge the process is equal to; and sometimes more important, than the outcome.
  • Holistic assessment should reflect the value and purpose of Art.