Art & Design
Intent
Through Art at St. Philip's, pupils will encounter an engaging and progressive curriculum that enables them to develop their knowledge and skills that is celebrated throughout each year group. Pupils will all have the opportunity to present their work in a variety of ways, which will raise their self-esteem and develop their artistic abilities.
Our Art Curriculum at St. Philip's has been devised based upon a mixture of both classic and modern Artists, who cover key artistic skills and art movements that have shaped our society today. We encourage pupils to take risks, be creative and express themselves when creating a piece of art work. At St. Philip's, we teach pupils that art work is very subjective, what another person likes, another may not. Having the skills to critique something and give opinions will develop their creative flow and prepare them for what happens every day in the art world.
Implementation
Our Art & Design curriculum is carefully structured to help every child build skills and confidence step by step. We use a spiral progression, meaning pupils revisit and deepen key skills such as drawing, colour, form, composition and art vocabulary as they move through the school. Each unit of learning focuses on a specific medium or technique — such as painting, sculpture or digital design — alongside a creative concept like identity, the environment, pattern or storytelling. Every unit also explores a mixture of artists, art movements and cross-curricular links, helping pupils connect their creative work to wider learning in subjects such as history, geography, science and English. Every lesson has clear objectives for skills, knowledge and vocabulary so that pupils can see their progress and talk confidently about their work. We ensure that children learn about a wide range of artists, designers and craft makers from different times, cultures and backgrounds, helping them appreciate the rich diversity of artistic expression. Progress is supported through regular feedback and ongoing assessment, so that every pupil knows their next steps and can take pride in their creative journey.
We ensure balanced exposure to the following media, with progression statements in our long-term plan:
· Drawing & mark-making (pencil, charcoal, ink, mixed dry media)
· Painting (water-based, acrylic, experimental surface techniques).
· Printmaking (relief, mono, screen-printing basics).
· Textiles (stitch, weaving, surface design, mixed media textiles).
· Sculpture & 3D (clay, papier-mâché, wire, found-object, model-making).
· Ceramics (hand-building, glazing basics; kiln usage where available).
· Photography & film (composition, exposure basics, sequencing, moving image storytelling).
· Digital media & design (digital drawing, simple animation, image manipulation — curriculum links to computing).
Impact
At St. Philip's the Art Curriculum has been designed in such a way that pupils develop as connfident, creative and independent young artists who can think critically, communicate visually and express their ideas with skill and imagination. Through revisiting and deepening key skills each year, children make clear, measurable progress in technical ability and artistic understanding. By engaging with a variety of artists, art movements and cross-curriculuar themes, pupils gain a broad cultural awareness and recognise how art connects to the wider world and other areas of learning. They build a strong visual vocabulary, enabling them to discuss and evaluate their own work and that of others with increasing confidence. Regular assessment and feedback ensure that every child knows how to improve, while celebrating their achievements fosters pride and a lifelong enjoyment of creativity. Ultimately, this approach equips pupils with the knowledge, curiosity and resilience to continue exploring the arts beyond the classroom and into later life.
