Curriculum overview

‘Every child is an artist’ - Pablo Picasso

At Joy Lane Primary School, we value the teaching and learning of Art and Design as it stimulates creativity and imagination and promotes awe and wonder. Here, the children relish the opportunity to explore and create with a variety of materials, tools and techniques within teacher-led and child-initiated sessions. Through our whole-school approach to learning, ‘Voices for Choices’ (which develops metacognitive skills), children regularly refer to themselves as Creative Chameleons and Proud Peacocks within Art lessons and across the curriculum. 

We encourage children to make cross-curricular links between Art and other subjects and use it to inspire learning opportunities, such as poetry or story writing. We promote independence and originality in children’s artwork and believe in celebrating the achievements of every child through displays, events and whole-school Art projects. Our collaboration with the Coastal Alliance (a local network of schools) is also an important stimulus for the direction of Art in our school.

Opportunities in Art lessons enable our children to advance their creative skills and knowledge. Through careful planning and assessment, pupils’ key skills and artistic knowledge are developed in every year group throughout the school in a progressive system, from mark making in Early Years to precise observational drawings in Year 6. Children are provided with opportunities to revisit and build upon previous creative skills and practice.

It is essential that children have the opportunity to learn and enjoy Art and Design from an early age to enrich their lives, develop creativity and inspire future careers in the Arts.