Art and Design Curriculum Statement 2026
At Greenlands Community Primary School, we believe that every child is an artist and that art is an essential part of a broad and ambitious education. We are committed to ensuring that every child has opportunities to think creatively, communicate visually and develop confidence in their own artistic voice.
Our curriculum is underpinned by the Access Art Split Curriculum, providing a carefully sequenced and progressive journey through Drawing, Surface and Colour and Working in Three Dimensions. Through these interconnected areas, alongside the consistent use of sketchbooks, pupils develop knowledge, skills and understanding whilst growing in creative confidence. We encourage children to think and act like artists by exploring ideas, experimenting with materials and processes, and reflecting on their own artistic development.
We believe creativity is an entitlement for all pupils. By fostering a culture where every child is recognised as an artist, we encourage children to value their ideas, take creative risks and understand that artistic success is found in exploration, reflection and personal expression as well as final outcomes.
Children are encouraged to see themselves as artists within their own community. Wherever possible, they explore the heritage, architecture, landscapes and creative culture of their local area. Through the study of local artists, designers, makers and creative practitioners, including those with connections to Preston, Lancashire and the wider North West, pupils develop an appreciation of the artistic talent and cultural opportunities within their region. Alongside this, they study a diverse range of artists and craftspeople from different cultures and historical periods, broadening their understanding of the world and enriching their cultural capital.
Curriculum Sequencing and Rationale
The curriculum is carefully sequenced through the Access Art Split Curriculum to ensure that knowledge, skills and artistic understanding build progressively from EYFS to Year 6. Learning is organised through the strands of Drawing, Surface and Colour and Working in Three Dimensions, with sketchbooks underpinning creative development throughout.
These areas are revisited and developed over time, enabling pupils to deepen their understanding, refine techniques and grow in confidence as artists. Drawing remains a central thread throughout the curriculum, supporting observation, visual literacy, creative thinking and communication. Pupils develop an understanding of the knowledge, skills and practices used by artists, designers and makers while making connections between their own work, the local area and the wider world.
Teaching and Pedagogy Guidance
Art lessons promote exploration, creativity and pupil ownership. Children are encouraged to experiment, make informed artistic choices and develop individual responses rather than produce identical outcomes.
Sketchbooks are an integral part of learning and are used to record observations, develop ideas, explore techniques and reflect on artistic decisions. Pupils engage with a diverse range of artists and artwork, discussing and evaluating creative processes using increasingly sophisticated artistic vocabulary.
Ongoing formative assessment informs teaching and supports progression, helping pupils to build confidence, independence and technical proficiency over time.
Assessment and Progression
Assessment is continuous and focuses on pupils’ developing knowledge, skills, creativity and ability to think and work as artists. Teachers use sketchbooks, discussion, observation and finished outcomes to monitor progress and inform next steps.
By the time pupils leave Greenlands Community Primary School, they will:
- Be confident, independent and reflective artists.
- Produce creative work showing increasing skill, knowledge and understanding.
- Use sketchbooks effectively to develop and communicate ideas.
- Discuss and evaluate artwork using appropriate artistic vocabulary.
- Demonstrate resilience, curiosity and a willingness to take creative risks.
- Appreciate the contribution of art and design to culture, history and society.
- Respect and value the work of artists, designers and craftspeople from a range of backgrounds.
- Make meaningful connections between their own artwork, their local community and the wider world.
- Recognise themselves as creative individuals whose ideas, experiences and voices matter.
The success of the curriculum is reflected in the quality of pupils’ sketchbooks, the creativity of their outcomes and the confidence with which they discuss and evaluate their work. By the end of Year 6, pupils leave Greenlands as imaginative, resilient and knowledgeable young artists who understand that creativity has value and that every child has the potential to be an artist.
Subject Leader: Mrs K Evans
k.evans@greenlands.lancs.sch.uk
