Curriculum Intent

“Art is not just a subject to learn, but an activity that you can practise with your hands, your eyes, your whole personality.” 

 Quentin Blake, Children’s Laureate  

At Harcourt, our Art curriculum is designed to inspire and equip every child to express themselves creatively, think critically, and engage confidently with the visual world. Through a rich, inclusive and ambitious curriculum, we encourage all pupils to believe in themselves, achieve their potential, and respect the ideas and cultures of others.

We deliver a broad and progressive curriculum that develops key technical skills in drawing, painting and sculpture, while nurturing imagination, individuality, and a lifelong appreciation for the arts.

At the heart of our curriculum is a commitment to inclusion and adaptive teaching. Pupils with SEND and EAL needs are supported through scaffolded tasks, visual prompts, and practical, sensory-based approaches, ensuring everyone can access and succeed in art.

We celebrate our diverse community by studying artists from a wide range of cultures, backgrounds, and time periods. Our pupils take inspiration from their class artist, exploring their style and techniques, and applying this knowledge to their own creative work.

We foster a safe, supportive space where children are encouraged to explore, experiment, and take risks without the fear of getting it wrong – the very essence of what art can offer. Every child is recognised as unique, and we encourage them to express their ideas, feelings, and attitudes freely, while living out our school values; believe, achieve, respect.

Art lessons are carefully sequenced to ensure skills build progressively over time. Children are taught to reflect on their own work and that of others, promoting creative thinking and self-evaluation. Where possible, we link art to other areas of the curriculum, making learning relevant, meaningful, and enriching.

By the time children leave Harcourt, they will have developed a strong foundation of skills, confidence in their creative voice, and a deep appreciation for the value of art in their lives and in the world around them.

Art National Curriculum - Purpose of study

Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Aims

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