Art and design

Help using Oak

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Primary

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Secondary

Who we are

Meet the team

Oak's curricula

Get involved

Contact us

About us

AI experiments

Curriculum

Plan a lesson

Support your team

Blogs

Webinars

Help

Guidance

Computing

Cooking and nutrition

Design and technology

Drama

English

Financial education

Geography

History

Maths

Music

Physical education

Religious education

RSHE (PSHE)

Science

French

Spanish

Expressive arts and design

Literacy

Personal, social and emotional development

Understanding the world

EYFS

Citizenship

German

Latin

Biology

Chemistry

Citizenship (Core)

Citizenship (GCSE)

Combined science

Computing (Core)

Computer Science (GCSE)

Physical education (Core)

Physical education (GCSE)

Physics

Religious education (GCSE)

Initial ideas: collaboration and generating ideas

Building a collaborative still life

Developing ideas collaboratively through manipulating source material

Effective annotation: supporting each other to record the process

Analysing the work of artists and designers who work collaboratively

Taking the individual path, responding to collaborative work

Analysing the work of artists and designers: key elements

Exploring and experimenting with materials and techniques

Develop ideas: trials and experiments

Review developed ideas: trials and experiments

Personal response: first-hand resources

Personal response: plan a response

Personal response: reflect and refine the response

Preparing to make a response under timed conditions

Creating a cohesive narrative: explaining the process

Evaluate use of materials and techniques

Evaluate artwork

Presenting artwork

This unit introduces collaborative working methods, even when assessed individually. Pupils will work together to respond to a theme, creating first-hand sources, then respond individually. They’ll learn to contribute to larger projects while maintaining their own identity.

Second sustained project: working from a theme changing perspectives

Deepening the understanding of the principles of painting

Painting: brushwork: techniques for texture and precision

Painting with expression: capturing  emotion and atmosphere

Revisiting colour theory: the science and emotion of colour

Exploring mediums: acrylics, oils watercolours and beyond

Compositional strategies: designing engaging and balanced artworks

Layering and blending: creating depth and richness in paintings

This teacher-led unit deepens pupils' skills within endorsements. Through short workshop activities, pupils further explore a range of materials and techniques. They develop studies focused on the elements and principles of art in practice.

Foundation workshops: developing skills

Deepening the understanding of the principles of 3D sculpture

Exploring assembling: creating sculptures from multiple parts

Carving techniques: from concept to finished sculpture

Thematic development: crafting expressive and cohesive sculptures

Casting methods: reproducing and enhancing sculptures

Mixed media sculptures: combining diverse materials and techniques

Advancing modelling: shaping with clay

Deepening the understanding of the principles of printing

Advancing relief printing: techniques and applications

Exploring intaglio: creating depth and detail in prints

Screen printing basics: from stencils to finished prints

Digital printing: integrating technology in printmaking

Mixed media printing: combining traditional and modern methods

Monoprinting techniques: unique and expressive prints

Deepening the understanding of the principles of textile design

Embroidery skills: creating detailed and decorative stitching

Exploring dyeing methods: colour and pattern creation

Fabric manipulation: techniques for texture and form

Weaving techniques: crafting textures and patterns

Thematic development: designing cohesive and expressive textile art

Mixed-media textiles: combining materials and methods

Drawing across disciplines

Drawing skills: key concepts techniques and exercises

Drawing skills: experimental mark-making and breaking the rules

Drawing skills: materials equipment and surfaces

Drawing skills: observational line and tone

Drawing skills: freehand and visual thinking

Drawing skills: space layering and composition

Drawing skills: digital drawing

Drawing skills: drawing with light

Drawing skills: drawing with 3D

Deepening the understanding of the principles of Digital Arts

Introduction to animation: bringing digital art to life

Mixed-media digital art: combining traditional and digital methods

Cyanotype: using the power of the sun

Advancing photo manipulation: enhancing images

Advancing photo manipulation: transforming images

Digital painting techniques: brushstrokes and beyond

The role and impact of curators

Artists as curators

Selecting work and considering the audience

Presentation of work

Reproducing art: postcards, prints and artist editions

Writing an artist statement

Talking about your work

Promotions: how to publicise a show

This teacher-led unit concludes the course with a physical or virtual exhibition. Pupils, having been introduced to curating, will select work based on quality and criteria, explore presentation, and mount and frame their pieces.

Curating an exhibition

Art and design

Choose a unit (3)