Our approach to Art and Design

Context behind curriculum delivery 

Our Art approach is based on the teaching of skills from the National Curriculum set against topics which provide the context to our lessons. Across their time at Hollymount they will become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other craft and design techniques. Based on Kapow’s Art and Design curriculum, pupil’s will experience the fundamentals of art through broad and balanced units, including exploration of the work of a wide range of artists and makers.  Units of work guide pupils in the skills required to explore, analyse and discuss art and they are encouraged to combine their knowledge of what constitutes ‘art’, specific artists and techniques with their own experiences to evaluate artworks and to inform their own creative practices. Our curriculum is divided into four core areas, repeated in each year group: drawing, painting and mixed media, sculpture and 3D and craft and design. This provides teachers with greater clarity over knowledge and skills progression within the four areas. Teachers can feel confident that children are given opportunities to develop mastery by revisiting core subject knowledge and applying that knowledge practically in a range of contexts with growing complexity. Skills are taught both in isolation and in context as part of the unit of work and children will have the opportunity to produce drafts to build and develop confidence. Our lessons are planned in order to provide immersive and exciting opportunities for children to learn artistic skills, as well as gaining an understanding of important periods in art history. All children are given time and space to engage with the physical world to stimulate a creative response (visiting, seeing, holding, hearing) and are given plentiful opportunities to generate ideas through playful, hands-on, exploration of materials without being constricted towards a pre-defined outcome.

Curriculum Overview

  Curriculum Map - Units of work and intended learning