What are the aims and purpose of our curriculum?

This curriculum instils a passion for art, craft and design. Pupils study a broad and diverse range of art and artists, as well as learning the knowledge and skills to develop their own reflective art practice. They have multiple opportunities to express their own ideas and experiences both in practical tasks and discussion, and the exposure to creative industries and professions fosters curiosity in opportunities beyond the classroom.

What overarching curriculum principles inform the design of our curriculum?

This principle recognises the important role that knowledge, and vocabulary as a particularly important type of knowledge, plays in learning. We identify and map vocabulary across the curriculum, both in terms of the introduction of new vocabulary and the necessary repetition of vocabulary that has gone before. New vocabulary, called keywords, are signalled in bold in our lesson materials to indicate their importance. We have carefully selected vocabulary that develops pupils’ visual literacy and enables them to engage with the visual world around them. This supports them to better utilise the skills, materials and techniques being taught and equips them with the language to express their own ideas.

A careful and purposeful sequencing of our curriculum content underpins the design of our curriculum, ensuring that pupils are able to build on and make links with existing knowledge. For example, key stage 1 drawing units focus on the ability to observe and record simple lines and shapes. Pupils progressively build the confidence to draw complex forms and explore the qualities of different materials and techniques to do this. Pupils then move onto a range of design, making and expressive activities that encourage them to apply what they have learned with increasing independence. Attention is paid to vertical coherence via threads, which map the developments of concepts over time, for example, in our ‘paint’ thread pupils are taught about basic colour mixing in year 1 through to finding their artistic voices at GCSE.

Our evidence-informed approach enables the rigorous application of research outcomes, science of learning and impactful best practice both in education in general and at a subject specific level. For example, the design of our resources reflects findings from Sweller’s cognitive load theory and Mayer’s principles of multimedia learning whilst our lesson design draws on Rosenshine’s principles of instruction. We also draw on findings from research organisations such as the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). At the subject level, our curriculum sequence has been developed by drawing together research and best practices from the National Society of Education in Art and Design (NSEAD) such as ‘The Big Landscape’ and ‘Better Practice’ research programme as well as the Runnymede Trust 'Visualise' research programme. Our curriculum draws on the work of NSEAD special interest groups including the Special Interest Group for Advancing Anti-ableist Pedagogy and Anti-Racist Art Education groups, who advise on issues of anti-racism, gender and anti-ableism.

Our flexible approach enables schools to use our resources in a way that fits their school setting and meets the varying needs of teachers and their pupils. Our curriculum can be used in its entirety or units can be selected to complement existing curricula. Our resources are adaptable so that, for example, teachers can easily add local context such as the work of local artists, can edit or add checks for understanding, or adapt practice tasks to better reflect the prior knowledge of their pupils. At key stage 4 teachers and pupils can select a pathway aligned to the most frequently used exam board specifications for GCSE Art & Design: AQA, Edexcel, Eduqas or OCR.

Our commitment to breadth and diversity can be seen in the broad and inclusive range of art and artworks referenced in our curriculum. Through the curriculum, pupils learn about a range of well known and lesser known artists, makers, and designers. These selections reflect the breadth of practice in art and the potential for future creative possibilities. Contextualising art and artworks historically and geographically allows pupils to recognise themselves in the visual world whilst broadening their perspectives.

Our curriculum is intentionally designed to facilitate high-quality teaching as a powerful lever to support pupils with SEND. Aligned with EEF guidance, our resources have a focus on clear explanations, modelling and frequent checks for understanding, with guided and independent practice. Lessons are chunked into learning cycles and redundant images and information are minimised to manage cognitive load. We have removed reference to year groups in our resources so that they can be used when pupils are ready, regardless of their age. Our resources are purposefully created to be accessible, for example by using accessible fonts, colours with good contrast, and captions in our videos.

What subject specific principles inform the design of our curriculum?

Focuses on the knowledge and skills specific to art, craft and design, including:

Drawing, painting and three-dimensional work - practised discretely to develop technical proficiency as part of a broad programme that includes pupils' experiences and original thinking;

Cultural and contextual knowledge about artists, craftspeople and designers;

How art and design is studied, discussed and judged enabling pupils to develop their own appreciation and opinion of it.

Our curriculum carefully maps the required theoretical knowledge with the need for experiential or practical knowledge though hands-on making. This balanced approach ensures that pupils develop the knowledge and skills necessary to create their own art whilst also gaining an understanding of the concepts and ideas that inform and give context to their creative work. Every unit incorporates opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. This prepares students to think critically and creatively, equipping them with a comprehensive understanding of the art world.

Facilitates both convergent (where pupils work towards similar outcomes) and divergent (where pupils work towards different outcomes) approaches to the way that pupils acquire knowledge and make work.

Our curriculum ensures that pupils are exposed to both convergent and divergent outcomes. Convergent outcomes where all pupils work towards a single, correct solution to a problem, technique or method of using materials. Divergent outcomes emphasise open-ended problem-solving, where there is no single, correct answer. They allow pupils to explore multiple solutions, experiment with ideas, and push creative boundaries. They give students the freedom to take risks and explore new methods or media without fear of being wrong. For example a convergent approach is used when teaching observational drawing skills with a pencil as pupils learn how to use the drawing tool to achieve tone. In contrast, a divergent approach is used in a collage unit where pupils explore different compositions and use their own artistic judgement to settle on an outcome.

Applies our diversity principle by exposing pupils to art and design from a diverse range of contexts.

Our curriculum includes art from the Western canon and from across the globe. We have been guided by the Runnymede Trust 2024 report, ‘VISUALISE: Race & Inclusion in Secondary School Art Education’ to ensure an appropriate and inclusive representation of artists, designers, and makers.

How does our curriculum reflect the aims & purpose of the national curriculum?

There are four aims of the national curriculum. First, is that the curriculum should enable pupils to ‘produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences’. Our curriculum encourages students to express themselves creatively through a variety of processes, developing their ability to communicate visually. 

We teach pupils to ‘become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture, and other art, craft, and design techniques’. We provide opportunities for pupils to acquire fundamental techniques in drawing, painting, and three-dimensional work, amongst other approaches. Our secondary units build on this with a focus on more advanced techniques and deeper, more autonomous artistic exploration. In the year 5 unit ‘Architecture: drawing and sculpture’ pupils learn drawing and sketching techniques for communicating architectural ideas and gain an understanding of 3D forms and spatial relationships. In the year 9 unit ‘Architecture: the built environment’ pupils deepen their knowledge of perspective drawing and consider different types of architecture in more detail, for example domestic, functional, public and monumental.

Our curriculum ensures pupils can ‘evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft, and design’ by teaching them to use art-specific vocabulary and establish criteria for self and peer assessments. This approach supports their ability to form informed opinions and engage in meaningful discussions about art. They learn to discuss and critique their own and others' work, using appropriate terminology to articulate their thoughts on artistic choices and techniques.

Pupils are given the opportunity to ‘know about great artists, craft makers, and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms’. The curriculum nurtures an early appreciation for art and its historical contexts, with secondary units offering a more detailed study of art history, movements, and critical analysis, providing pupils with a comprehensive understanding of art's evolution and its influence from and impact on society. The year 6 unit ‘Art detectives: looking at people and places’ develops pupils’ ability to access, filter and identify appropriate and relevant information on art history. In subsequent secondary units, such as ‘Art movements’, pupils learn in depth about art from western art movements and broaden their understanding of movements from different places alongside this.

What teaching time does our curriculum require?

Our curricula for key stages 1-3 are designed for 36 weeks of curriculum time across the school year, leaving time for other activities both within and beyond the curriculum such as assessments or school trips. At key stage 4, year 10 also has 36 weeks of curriculum time, but year 11 has only 24 weeks (approximately 2 terms) to recognise that schools will not be teaching new content in the run up to the GCSE exams.

At key stages 1-3, our curriculum has been designed to teach one weekly lesson, approximately 40 minutes long in key stage 1 and 50 minutes to an hour in key stages 2 and 3. We understand that exact time dedicated to art and design can vary greatly between schools due to differences in curriculum planning, resource allocation and school specific priorities. Therefore we fully expect and encourage teachers to adapt our curriculum and resources to best suit their needs and available curriculum time.

At key stage 4, our curriculum allows for approximately two one hour lessons per week, though there are more lessons available as different unit options in the sequence to allow for different endorsements (areas of specialisation) in different exam board pathways. We have not provided explicit lessons to support the externally set assessment (ESA) in line with JCQ and awarding body regulations which stipulate only providing pupils with technical and health and safety guidance.

We use threads to signpost groups of units that link to one another, building a common body of knowledge over time. We use the term thread, rather than vertical concepts, themes, or big ideas, because it helps to bring to mind the visual concept of a thread weaving through the curriculum.

Our art and design threads that weave through both our primary and secondary curricula are (in alphabetical order):

Our threads reflect the knowledge, skills and techniques that are the foundation of art, craft and design. They map the development of practical, theoretical and disciplinary knowledge of art, craft and design over time. The threads develop pupils’ knowledge, personal expression and creative skills and expose them to a range of creative industries. For example, the ‘digital’ thread introduces pupils to photography in key stage 2 using a studio set-up and in key stage 3 pupils use digital editing tools to manipulate images. Consistent threads across our primary and secondary curricula can enable more effective transition, helping pupils to bridge their knowledge and understanding from primary to secondary.

Recommendations from subject specific reports

How does our curriculum address and enact recommendations from subject specific reports (e.g. EEF guidance reports & Ofsted Research Review)?

Our curriculum is aligned with the NSEAD ‘Big Landscape’ toolkit. The toolkit emphasises the need to encourage critical thinking and discussion about the societal and cultural influences on art. A key feature of our units is to support teachers and pupils in having rich, contextual and critical discussion about the art they look at as well as making their own art inspired by it. In line with the toolkit, we ensure that pupils see themselves and others reflected in the curriculum and create opportunities for personal and social exploration through art.

Our curriculum draws on evidence-based research and is informed by the definitions and examples of good practice referenced in the Ofsted research review for art and design. The review notes that deep learning cannot be achieved with an ‘inch deep mile wide’ approach. Our curriculum focuses deeply on specific aspects of art, allowing students to build technical skills, develop critical understanding, and apply knowledge creatively. Rather than rushing through many topics, students have the time to master important skills, such as observational drawing, analysis of artworks, and creative experimentation.

How does our curriculum deal with elements that arise from the specific needs of the subject?

What artists, makers and designers are featured in our art and design curricula?

Why aren’t there images of ‘famous’ art in our lessons?

Our curriculum teaches pupils about a broad and diverse range of art and artists in line with our diversity curriculum principle. However, when we sought licensing agreements to use art images in our lessons we found it much easier to license art seen as ‘famous’ or important and influential in shaping Western culture. Therefore, to ensure art from beyond the Western canon is as well represented as that within, we refer to the art of artists in text only. This ensures that the diversity of global art is more fairly represented. You may choose to add images where appropriate, to enrich learning. Although we don’t include the art of these featured artists, our lessons are rich in visuals, featuring practical, inspiring examples created by our team of artist-educators.

National Society for Education in Art and Design

 is a specialist Trade Union, subject association, and learned society with unique collective expertise in art, craft and design education. NSEAD has offered unparalleled support for art, craft and design educators since 1888, drawing on their active membership community to lead innovation and better practice. 

Use this KS3 and KS4 art and design curriculum plan to support pupils in building creative confidence, technical skill and critical understanding. Lessons introduce and develop key elements such as line, tone, form and colour, while giving pupils opportunities to explore the work of diverse artists, designers and cultures.

You can explore threads such as 'line and tone', 'composition', 'cultural context' and 'developing a personal response' to see how visual literacy and expressive confidence develop over time.

You can find the full lesson resources for 

 art and design and download all the resources you need for free.

Secondary

Art and design

Key Stage 1

Key Stage 2

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 4

Primary

Core

GCSE

Citizenship

Computing

Cooking and nutrition

Design and technology

Edexcel

Eduqas

English

French

Edexcel B

Geography

German

History

Maths

Music

Physical education

Science

Spanish

Religious education

Collage

Design

Digital

Draw

Paint

Print

Sculpt

Textiles

This teacher-led unit introduces key principles and four assessment objectives through various drawing activities in the studio and on-site. Pupils will explore diverse sources, inspired by themes from a museum or site visit.

Selecting inspirational visual source material

Recording from observation and first-hand sources

Developing ideas for experimentation

The art of critique: analysing and interpreting artworks

Drawing for different purposes and needs

Manipulating drawings

Manipulating photographs

2D into 3D

Documenting the creative journey

Foundation workshops: selecting primary sources and recording observations

This unit revisits and reframes the key principles and elements of art. Pupils will study how artists use these elements with greater sophistication. They will carefully examine and analyse the elements and principles, applying them to their chosen art forms and endorsements.

Scale, proportion and perspective

Unity, variety, rhythm and balance

Mass, shape, volume and depth

Line

Tone, hue and colour

Form and shape

Texture

Pattern

Composition

Foundation workshops: revisiting elements of art and principles of art

This is a teacher led unit which introduces to pupils to the skills within their endorsements. Through a series of workshop activities, students experiment with a range of materials and techniques. They develop a range of studies exploring mark making media, print and mixed media.

3D Design: introduction to the principles of sculpture 

3D design: an introduction to the areas of study

3D Design: form, structure and surface texture 

3D Design: found materials

3D Design: clay construction techniques

3D Design: clay surface techniques

3D Design: plaster casting

3D Design: building with cardboard

3D Design: the influence of sources on your investigations

Foundation workshops: an introduction to the areas of study

3D Design

Fine Art

Graphic Communications

Photography

Textile Design

This unit introduces pupils to developing their own creative process. Pupils will learn about key components in shaping an artistic voice, including clarity on style, identity, and practical skills. Pupils will explore visual and tactile elements of art to discover who they are as artists.

The artistic voice

Identify personal strengths: techniques and skills

What is a sketchbook

Gallery and artist pages

The artistic voice: documenting process

The artistic voice: developing ideas

The artistic voice: singular or series of artworks

Finding your artistic voice: an introduction to the creative process

This unit explores approaches to developing ideas and a personal response to the theme of sustainability. Working from observation, memory and imagination, pupils will explore a range of primary and secondary sources.

Portraits and figures in photography

Objects in photography

Natural forms in photography

Landscapes in photography

Socially engaged practice in photography

Historical, social and contemporary concepts in photography

Foundation workshops

Themes within Fine Art

Themes within Graphic Communication

Themes within photography

Themes within Textiles

This is an independent, pupil-led unit where pupils develop their own creative process. Having learned the key components of shaping an artistic voice, they will now make choices about themes, techniques, and processes, articulating and evaluating their artistic journey.

Personal response: layers and processes in different endorsements

Personal response: how to judge quality and refining work

Personal response: finishing an artwork

Presenting a portfolio: creating pages of documentation

Curating the artwork: selecting and arranging key pieces

Evaluate the use of materials and techniques

Self assessment techniques: evaluating your own work

First sustained project: working from a theme

3D design: nature and the environment in art

Art, craft and design: being human

Fine Art: Objects in Art

Graphic design: the places we inhabit

Photography: identity and belonging

Textiles: sustainable design

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.

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 the 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: a developed personal first hand resource

Personal response: create a response

Personal response: reflect and refine the response

Curating artwork: selecting and arranging key pieces into portfolios or workbooks

 Creating a cohesive narrative: explaining the process

Evaluate use of materials and techniques

Evaluate collaborative work

Presenting artwork

Sustained project: working from a theme changing perspectives

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.

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

Mastering photo manipulation: enhancing images

Mastering photo manipulation: transforming images

Digital painting techniques: brushstrokes and beyond

Foundation workshops: developing skills

Graphic communication

This is an independent, pupil-led unit that allows pupils to further develop their creative process, refining their practice and making more sophisticated connections. Pupils will choose themes, techniques, and processes, articulating and evaluating their artistic journey.

KS3 & KS4 art and design curriculum

Unit sequence

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Year group

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Foundation workshops: developing skills

Unit options

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