“Every child is an artist.” — Pablo Picasso
At Abingdon, Art and Design gives children a language through which they can express, explore, question and communicate. We teach the skills of drawing, painting and clay work deliberately and progressively, building the technical knowledge and confidence children need to enjoy creating and to see themselves as artists.
Our curriculum is shaped around the faces, colours and shape of Abingdon. The art our children encounter reflects the richness of our community, while opening windows to artists, craftspeople and designers from different cultures, places and times. Children learn that art can tell stories, communicate identity, challenge ideas and help us see the world differently.
“She looks like me; maybe I will be good at this too.” Michelle Year 3
Skills, knowledge and creativity
Children develop increasing control and confidence in:
- drawing, painting and colour;
- working with clay and other materials;
- exploring line, shape, pattern, texture and form;
- observing, experimenting and developing ideas;
- studying the work of artists, craftspeople and designers;
- talking about, evaluating and refining their own work and the work of others.
We teach children that creativity is not simply about producing a finished piece. It is about having an idea, trying something, making choices, learning from mistakes and developing something further. We teach the technical skills children need, while giving them the freedom to develop their own creative voice.
Art that reflects who we are
Representation matters. Children should be able to recognise something of themselves, their families and their communities in the art they encounter, while also discovering perspectives beyond their own.
Our curriculum deliberately connects with the cultures, identities and experiences of our Abingdon community. The faces, colours and shape of Abingdon become a source of inspiration: children create work that reflects the people and places around them and learn to value the different ways others see and represent the world.
Through artists, craftspeople and designers, children encounter people who demonstrate that creative achievement is possible in many different forms. This helps children to see themselves achieving today and in the future.
Art in our community
Art is not confined to the classroom. Our links with MIMA (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art) give children opportunities to experience professional artwork and contemporary creative practice within their own community. Our links with Middlesbrough College’s art provision help children see creative pathways beyond primary school and understand that art can lead to further study, careers and opportunities.
These experiences matter because children can see that the skills they develop at Abingdon have a place beyond school. They can encounter artists and creative practitioners, ask questions, respond to real artwork and begin to imagine themselves as creators.
Inclusion and belonging
Art provides another route into success. A child who may find it difficult to demonstrate their thinking through writing or speech may communicate powerfully through image, colour, material and form.
We therefore adapt teaching, resources and adult support so that every child can participate meaningfully, while maintaining high expectations. Inclusion means widening access to excellence, not redefining excellence. The ambition remains high; the route to achieving it may be different.
Art contributes to our wider work in RSHE, Personal Development and SMSC by developing identity, confidence, cultural understanding, self-expression and respect for different perspectives. It gives children opportunities to take creative risks, persevere when something does not work and celebrate the individuality of their ideas.
“To practise any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it!” — Kurt Vonnegut
Living our ARCH through Art
Art gives children repeated opportunities to live our values:
- Aspirations – seeing creative possibilities and imagining what they might achieve.
- Resilience – experimenting, making mistakes, adapting and trying again.
- Harmony – valuing different cultures, identities, ideas and creative perspectives.
- Commitment – developing skills over time, taking care with their work and seeing an idea through.
We teach the skills. We model the processes. We give children time to practise. We revisit and refine. We celebrate their ideas and achievements.
Through Art and Design, children develop more than artistic technique. They develop a voice, a sense of identity, confidence in their own ideas and an appreciation of the creativity of others.
Belong → Express → Create → Build confidence → Flourish → Thrive → Achieve.
Art and Design Progression Document
For the Art and Design Programme of Study follow this link:
