Art & Design Vision Statement

At St Peter’s CE Primary School, we believe that every child is made in the image of God and is uniquely creative. Through our Art and Design curriculum, we nurture curiosity, imagination and self-expression, enabling every child to flourish and experience life in all its fullness.

We believe that creativity is developed through knowledge, practice, reflection and perseverance. Through a rich and carefully sequenced curriculum, pupils develop the confidence to explore ideas, experiment with materials, solve creative problems and communicate meaning through art. We want every child to experience the peace that comes from careful observation and reflection, the hope that grows through perseverance and continual improvement, and the joy of creating, appreciating and sharing their own artistic achievements.

Subject Intent

Our Art and Design curriculum is designed to provide every pupil with the knowledge, skills and understanding to think and work as an artist. Through carefully planned teaching, pupils develop both the substantive knowledge of artistic techniques, materials, processes, artists and the visual elements of art, alongside the disciplinary knowledge needed to experiment, refine, evaluate and communicate ideas creatively.

Our curriculum is deliberately sequenced so that knowledge is revisited, applied and refined over time. Pupils begin by developing secure understanding of the fundamental visual elements of line, shape, colour, tone, texture, form, pattern and space before progressing towards increasingly sophisticated concepts such as composition, proportion, perspective, scale and personal expression. As their knowledge grows, pupils become increasingly able to make informed artistic choices, selecting and combining materials, techniques and processes to achieve an intended effect.

Children work across drawing, painting, sculpture, craft, design and mixed media, developing increasing technical control alongside creative independence. Sketchbooks are valued as working documents where pupils observe, record, experiment, practise, revisit, refine and evaluate ideas, recognising that the creative process is just as important as the finished outcome.

Pupils study a diverse range of artists, designers, craftspeople and artistic traditions from different cultures and periods in history. Through analysing and discussing artwork, they learn how art reflects society, communicates ideas and shapes our understanding of the world. Precise artistic vocabulary enables pupils to discuss, justify and evaluate their own work and the work of others with increasing confidence and sophistication.

By the end of Year 6, pupils leave St Peter’s as knowledgeable, reflective and independent young artists who appreciate the value of creativity, understand the contribution of art and design to our lives and cultures, and possess the technical knowledge, creative thinking and resilience to express themselves with purpose, originality and confidence.