Art
Vision
At Cayley, our vision for Art is to nurture every child’s creativity, imagination and self-expression. We aim to inspire a lifelong love of art by developing pupils’ skills, confidence and appreciation of artistic diversity and culture. Through art, pupils explore ideas, experiment with materials and learn about artists from different times and places.
Intent
Our Art curriculum is designed to develop pupils’ creativity while building knowledge of artistic techniques, materials and traditions. We want pupils to feel confident experimenting, reflecting on their work and expressing their ideas visually.
Children explore a wide range of artistic disciplines across each key stage, including drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles and collage, and 3D art. They also learn about significant artists and artistic movements, helping them to understand how art reflects culture, history and identity.
Implementation
Pupils complete three Art units each year, one per term. Each unit typically consists of six hours of learning, which may be taught as weekly lessons or in blocks depending on class timetables.
We use the CUSP Art curriculum, which provides structured lesson sequences, resources and guidance for teachers. Units focus on building knowledge and skills progressively, allowing pupils to practise techniques before producing a final outcome.
Lessons follow a clear structure that includes:
- revisiting prior learning
- introducing new vocabulary and concepts
- explicit teaching of artistic skills and techniques
- opportunities for pupils to practise and apply their learning independently
- making connections to artists and art history.
Pupils record their ideas, experimentation and reflections in sketchbooks, alongside creating final outcomes using a range of artistic media.
Art is an inclusive subject where outcomes can be diverse. Teachers adapt learning through visual aids, scaffolded support and adjustments to materials or working spaces to ensure all pupils, including those with SEND, can fully participate.
Impact
Through our Art curriculum, pupils develop creativity, resilience and confidence in expressing their ideas visually. They build knowledge of artistic techniques and gain an appreciation of artists and cultures from around the world.
Progress is assessed through:
- observation and discussion during lessons
- review of sketchbooks and final outcomes
- opportunities for pupils to reflect on and talk about their work.
Monitoring across the school includes sketchbook reviews, learning walks and pupil voice, ensuring high-quality teaching and consistent curriculum coverage.
As a result, pupils leave Cayley with a strong foundation in artistic skills, a deeper appreciation of art and the confidence to express themselves creatively.