Art and Design at Ordsall Primary School

At Ordsall Primary School, Art and Design is taught as a distinct subject that enables pupils to express ideas, develop creativity and think critically about visual culture.

We follow the National Curriculum for Art and Design, teaching the subject from Early Years through to Year 6. Our ambition is that pupils leave Ordsall with secure practical skills, a strong visual vocabulary and the confidence to create, reflect and refine their own artistic outcomes.

Our Art and Design Curriculum

Our art curriculum is built around two forms of knowledge:

• Substantive knowledge – the visual elements, materials, techniques and vocabulary pupils are taught, including colour, line, shape, form, texture, tone and pattern

• Disciplinary knowledge – how pupils think and work as artists, including developing techniques, exploring and recording ideas, analysing and evaluating work, and understanding artists and styles

Clear progression maps set out what pupils should know, do and understand in each year group. Learning is deliberately sequenced so skills and knowledge build cumulatively from Early Years to Year 6, with increasing independence, control and creative intent.

How Art Is Taught: Our Lesson Design

Across the school, Art and Design lessons follow a shared lesson design that supports creativity while ensuring clear progression and consistency.

Lessons typically include:

• Big Picture – pupils understand the focus, purpose or artistic intention

• Revisit – prior skills, techniques and vocabulary are revisited

• Teach – clear modelling, explanation and demonstration of techniques

• Learning Together – guided exploration, experimentation and discussion

• Independent Learning – pupils apply skills and ideas independently

• Reflect – pupils evaluate their work and consider improvements

This structure supports confident experimentation, resilience and the ability to refine and improve work over time.

Thinking and Working Like Artists

Pupils are taught to think and work like artists through regular opportunities to:

• develop proficiency in drawing, painting, sculpture and mixed media

• explore and record ideas using sketchbooks

• study and respond to the work of artists, designers and craft makers

• analyse and evaluate their own work and that of others using precise art vocabulary

These disciplinary habits are revisited and strengthened across year groups so pupils develop increasing control, creativity and critical awareness.

Inclusion and Impact

We are committed to ensuring that all pupils can access and succeed in Art and Design. Teaching is adapted to support individual needs without reducing ambition, and barriers to learning are proactively identified and removed.

The impact of our art curriculum is seen in pupils’ confidence, technical skill, quality of outcomes, use of artistic vocabulary and their ability to reflect thoughtfully on their own creative process.