Art and Design

At Brookfield Primary School, we give every child the best chance to succeed in life. Through our Art and Design curriculum, we help pupils to grow into confident, caring and capable individuals who are ready to make a positive difference in the world.

The national curriculum for Art and Design aims to ensure that all pupils:

produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

We believe that every child is an artist. Our curriculum, taught through the Kapow Primary Art and Design Scheme, provides rich and inspiring opportunities for children to explore, create and express themselves through a range of media and techniques. It equips pupils with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and produce their own works of art, craft and design while developing an appreciation of artistic heritage and cultural diversity.

Our Art curriculum reflects our school values of Respect, Resilience, Kindness, Inclusivity and Independence. Pupils learn to respect their own and others’ creative choices, show resilience when refining ideas, and work both independently and collaboratively with kindness and inclusivity.

Our approach is underpinned by our Teaching and Learning Policy. Teachers provide clear explanations, model techniques step-by-step, and give children opportunities to practise and revisit skills so that knowledge becomes secure over time. This structure ensures that all pupils build strong foundations and make visible progress in their artistic development.

We place a strong emphasis on vocabulary development, recognising that a rich language of art enables children to think, talk and write about creative processes with precision and confidence. Vocabulary is explicitly taught and reinforced throughout lessons, displays and pupil discussions.

Sketchbooks are used to capture learning journeys, showing how ideas are developed, refined and evaluated. Artwork is proudly displayed around school, celebrating creativity and reflecting the diverse talents of our children.

Intent

Our intent is to inspire all children to see themselves as artists and to nurture their creativity, curiosity and confidence. We aim for pupils to:

Develop a secure understanding of artistic skills and techniques through a progressive curriculum.
Explore and evaluate a range of art forms, styles and cultures.
Use the language of art to express ideas, opinions and emotions effectively.
Reflect our school values through their artistic endeavours.

Implementation

Art and Design is taught through the Kapow Primary Scheme, providing clear progression from EYFS to Year 6. Lessons are carefully sequenced and informed by Rosenshine’s principles — beginning with clear modelling, guided practice, and opportunities for independent application.

Teachers explicitly teach art vocabulary and model how to use it to describe and evaluate work.
Sketchbooks are central to lessons, promoting exploration and reflection.
Pupils study a broad range of artists, craft makers and designers from diverse backgrounds.
Learning builds on prior knowledge and skills, encouraging children to make connections across units.
Art is celebrated through displays, exhibitions and cross-curricular projects, strengthening cultural capital and community pride.

Impact

By the time pupils leave Brookfield Primary School, they will:

Demonstrate a growing mastery of artistic techniques and processes.
Use a rich and precise art vocabulary to discuss and evaluate their own and others’ work.
Show creativity, confidence and resilience in approaching new challenges.
Appreciate the role of art in reflecting and shaping the world around them.

Progress is monitored through sketchbooks, displays, pupil voice and teacher assessments.

The joy, pride and imagination visible in our children’s artwork are the greatest measure of success.