Intent

At The Cambridge Primary School, we believe that creativity through art and design is a vital part of every child’s education and overall development. Our intent is to provide high‑quality, engaging art and design lessons that equip pupils with a broad and secure range of skills, knowledge, and understanding within the subject and across related disciplines. Through a carefully planned curriculum, pupils are given meaningful opportunities to express their own ideas and creativity, while being introduced to a diverse range of artists, techniques, and mediums. Our Art and Design curriculum also plays a key role in building pupils’ cultural capital. Children are exposed to artwork and artistic traditions from a wide variety of cultures, time periods, and communities, helping them develop an appreciation of the wider world and their place within it. By broadening their experiences and deepening their understanding of different artistic influences, we aim to inspire curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong engagement with the arts.

"Creativity takes courage" - Henri Matisse

We want children to leave The Cambridge with memorable art experiences that build strong skills in drawing, painting, sculpture, colour, textiles, and artistic knowledge. Our progressive curriculum develops the essential skills, knowledge, and vocabulary needed for effective learning, enabling pupils to apply their art skills to other subjects—for example, sketching historical artefacts, recreating landmarks, or painting in the style of famous artists.

Implementation

Art and Design is taught as a skill-based curriculum in which pupils study a range of inspirational artists linked to their focus topics and wider areas of learning. Our aim is for children to develop secure skills, knowledge, and understanding of the elements of art through carefully sequenced, skill-specific lessons. Across KS1 and KS2, Art and Design is taught for one hour each week, with additional ‘Art Afternoons’ incorporated into hook days and themed weeks.

In EYFS, children access Art and Design daily through indoor and outdoor continuous provision, supported by one adult‑directed task and a weekly focused skill lesson. Lessons follow a consistent cycle: beginning with research into an artist or artistic concept, followed by weekly skill‑building sessions, and culminating in the creation of a final piece. This structure ensures pupils gain new knowledge, practise techniques, and engage with artist studies and evaluations. Art journals are used throughout the school to record techniques, practise skills, draft ideas, and showcase photographs of completed final pieces. Finished artworks are displayed in each year group’s Art Gallery around the school.

Impact

Teachers monitor children’s progress in Art and Design through ongoing formative assessment. A range of strategies including verbal feedback, book looks, self‑assessment, peer assessment, and teacher judgement are used to evaluate pupils’ developing skills and understanding. In every lesson, the specific skill being taught is made explicit in the slides, ensuring pupils know the focus of their learning. Pupil voice is embedded throughout, with children encouraged to reflect on their work, critique outcomes, and offer constructive feedback to peers. Teachers provide continuous verbal feedback during lessons, and work that clearly demonstrates the taught skills is showcased within each year group’s Art Gallery.

Fundamental British Values in Art and Design

Pupils are taught British values across the curriculum, and these are woven meaningfully into Art and Design. Through exploring a diverse range of artists from different cultures and backgrounds, and engaging with aspects of art history, pupils develop tolerance and appreciation for perspectives beyond their own. Democratic values are promoted as children discuss a variety of artworks, listen to others’ interpretations, and consider different viewpoints. Pupils demonstrate the rule of law by following safety guidance and adhering to project criteria and expectations. They are given opportunities to exercise individual liberty by making creative choices and expressing their own ideas within their artwork. Mutual respect is fostered throughout lessons, as pupils are taught how to give constructive feedback, work collaboratively on group projects, and respond sensitively to one another’s work.

 

Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural development in Art and Design

Spiritual: Pupils develop a sense of enjoyment, fascination and creativity as they explore their own artistic capabilities and express their ideas through drawing, painting, sculpture, colour and textiles. They experience moments of personal achievement and self-discovery as they create final pieces, building self-awareness and confidence in their creative abilities. Through studying inspirational artists and engaging with diverse artistic traditions, children reflect on different perspectives and develop an appreciation of beauty and meaning in art. 

Moral: Children learn the importance of giving constructive feedback and responding sensitively to one another's work during peer assessment activities. They develop an understanding of respect and integrity through following safety guidance and adhering to project criteria and expectations. Pupils learn to appreciate the value of perseverance and dedication as they progress through the cycle of research, skill-building and creating final pieces, understanding that artistic development requires commitment and honest self-reflection.

Social: Art and Design lessons provide rich opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively on group projects, discuss artworks and share their interpretations with others. Children build communication skills and learn to listen respectfully to different viewpoints as they critique outcomes and offer constructive feedback to peers. Through using art journals to record techniques and showcase their work, and displaying finished pieces in year group Art Galleries around the school, pupils celebrate their achievements together and develop pride in their collective creative community. These collaborative experiences help children learn with and from one another, developing respect for the contributions and creative choices of their peers.

Cultural: Our Art and Design curriculum plays a key role in building pupils' cultural capital by exposing them to artwork and artistic traditions from a wide variety of cultures, time periods and communities. Through studying a diverse range of inspirational artists linked to their focus topics, children broaden their understanding of the wider world and their place within it. They develop tolerance and appreciation for perspectives beyond their own, exploring how different communities express themselves through art. Our curriculum celebrates artistic heritage from across the globe, helping pupils understand aspects of art history while promoting the British Values of tolerance, mutual respect and appreciation for democracy through discussing different interpretations and viewpoints.