Art
Intent
Expression through Creativity
At St Joseph’s, our art curriculum empowers pupils to experiment, invent and create original work that expresses ideas, feelings and responses to the world. We aim to engage, inspire and challenge pupils so they develop the knowledge and skills to work confidently across media and processes, think critically about artwork, and understand how art and design reflect and shape history and contribute to culture and creativity locally and globally.
Our curriculum ensures pupils:
- Produce creative work that explores ideas and records experiences; become increasingly proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other techniques; evaluate and analyse creative works using accurate art vocabulary; and know about great artists, craft makers, architects and designers, including their historical and cultural contexts.
Implementation
Art is taught once each term through a focused artist/form/discipline study, with additional cross‑curricular opportunities where meaningful. Each unit is sequenced so pupils plan, practise and refine skills before creating a personal final piece, followed by evaluation and critique.
Our implementation aligns with the National Curriculum progression:
- Key Stage 1: Pupils use a range of materials creatively; develop ideas through drawing, painting and sculpture; build techniques in colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space; and learn about a range of artists, craft makers and designers, making links to their own work.
- Key Stage 2: Pupils develop control and use of materials with creativity and experimentation; use sketchbooks to record observations, review and revisit ideas; improve mastery of drawing, painting and sculpture using a range of media (e.g., pencil, charcoal, paint, clay); and study great artists, architects and designers in history.
Pedagogy across the school includes: explicit teaching of technique and vocabulary; modelling and guided practice; structured peer and self‑assessment; and opportunities to explore diverse artistic traditions and contemporary practice, ensuring breadth, depth and inclusivity.
Impact
By the end of each key stage, pupils know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes in the relevant programme of study. They can:
- Make informed artistic choices; selecting media, processes and compositional approaches that match their intentions and explain those choices using the language of art, craft and design.
- Demonstrate growing proficiency in drawing, painting and sculpture, showing increased control, accuracy and expression across a range of materials.
- Think critically; evaluate and analyse their own work and that of others, referencing techniques, elements (colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form, space) and contextual influences.
- Recognise and articulate how art and design both reflect and shape history and contribute to culture and creativity, including links to artists and movements they have studied.
How do we know pupils are achieving:
- Sketchbooks/portfolios (KS2) and curated evidence (KS1) show a clear journey from idea generation to experimentation, refinement and final outcomes, with annotations that capture intent, process and evaluation.
- Ongoing assessment is embedded in lessons through observation, discussion, critique and review against success criteria aligned to National Curriculum expectations; teachers capture strengths and next steps to inform subsequent teaching.
- Vocabulary progression is evident in how pupils describe techniques, processes and effects, and how they justify choices in relation to artists studied and the formal elements.
- Showcasing and celebration (displays, assemblies, digital galleries) promote pride, cultural capital and audience‑aware presentation, reinforcing the aim to engage, inspire and challenge pupils.
Long‑term outcomes:
Pupils leave St Joseph’s as confident, reflective young artists who can record ideas, experiment purposefully, refine with control, and communicate meaning through art.