Our Art Vision

At Grange Primary School, our inspiring and inclusive art curriculum encourages every child to develop their creativity, explore their imagination, and express themselves with confidence. We believe that all children can succeed in art by embracing curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to experiment.

What does it mean to be an artist?

An artist is someone who uses creativity to communicate ideas, emotions, experiences, and stories through a variety of media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, textiles, digital art, and design.

"At Grange Primary School, we believe every child is an artist. By nurturing creativity, confidence, and perseverance, we empower our pupils to express themselves, celebrate their individuality, and take pride in their achievements."

Our carefully planned and progressive curriculum enables all pupils to develop the knowledge, understanding, and practical skills needed to meet the expectations of the National Curriculum. Children are encouraged to experiment with a wide range of materials, techniques, and processes while developing their own creative ideas. They also study the work of significant artists, designers, and craft makers from different cultures and historical periods, helping them to appreciate the rich diversity of artistic expression.

Throughout their artistic journey, pupils use sketchbooks to explore ideas, practise techniques, record observations, and reflect on their learning before creating thoughtful and high-quality final pieces.

Through our curriculum, pupils become confident and proficient in a range of artistic disciplines, including:

• Sketching
• Painting
• Sculpture
• Collage

Our art lessons inspire children to be curious, imaginative, and resilient learners. Pupils are encouraged to take creative risks, evaluate and refine their work, and learn from both successes and challenges. By discussing and appreciating their own work alongside that of others, children develop confidence, critical thinking skills, and a lifelong appreciation of art and creativity.

Paradigms of Art 

Pillars of Art 

At Grange Primary School, we deliver a progressive and engaging art curriculum that develops creativity, curiosity, and technical skill throughout every child's learning journey. Our curriculum is carefully planned to ensure pupils build on prior knowledge each year, with clearly sequenced skills that provide continuity, challenge, and progression in line with the National Curriculum.

Each year group explores a range of exciting themes, artists, and cultures to broaden pupils' understanding of art and design. Children discover how art reflects history, identity, and culture while learning about the contributions of artists, designers, and craft makers from around the world. Through these experiences, pupils develop their understanding of traditional, modern, and contemporary art, recognising how artistic styles and movements have evolved over time.

Children are encouraged to experiment with a wide variety of materials, media, and techniques, developing control, creativity, and confidence in their artistic choices. They learn to observe carefully, ask thoughtful questions, solve creative problems, and communicate their ideas through increasingly refined artwork.

We have high expectations for all pupils and encourage them to produce work they are proud of while developing resilience and independence. Children regularly evaluate and discuss their own work and that of others, using appropriate artistic vocabulary to express opinions, justify choices, and reflect on their learning. By following the creative process of exploring, designing, creating, and evaluating, pupils develop both technical expertise and imaginative thinking.

Our aim is for every child to leave Grange Primary School with a strong appreciation of art and design, the confidence to express themselves creatively, and the skills to produce original, meaningful, and high-quality artwork inspired by the world around them.

Cultural Capital

At Grange Primary School, our Art and Design curriculum enriches pupils' cultural capital by introducing them to artists, designers, and craft makers from a wide range of cultures, backgrounds, and historical periods. Children develop an appreciation of how art reflects and shapes the world around us while exploring diverse creative traditions and artistic movements.

Where possible, pupils enhance their learning through visits to galleries, museums, exhibitions, and workshops, as well as opportunities to work with visiting artists and members of the local community. These experiences broaden their horizons, inspire creativity, and help them make meaningful connections between art, history, and everyday life.

Through Art and Design, children develop confidence, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. We encourage every pupil to be curious, imaginative, and ambitious, providing opportunities for them to explore their creativity, express their ideas, and flourish as confident young artists.

The National Curriculum for art 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

At Grange, We believe that art should develop children with the following essential characteristics to help them develop like artists:  

• To develop a knowledge and understanding of other artists, craft makers and designers. 
• The ability to use artistic language to express themselves (for example, line, shape, pattern, colour, texture, form).  
• The ability to explore and invent marks, develop and deconstruct ideas and communicate through drawing in 2D, 3D or digital media.  
• The ability to use their knowledge and understanding of different media and art forms to inform and inspire their practice; selecting and using materials, processes and techniques skilfully  
• The ability to draw confidently and adventurously from observation, memory and imagination.  
• The ability to reflect on, analyse and critically evaluate their own work and that of others.  
• To have a passion for and a commitment to the subject.  

Our art curriculum enhances this offer, by achieving the aims set out here but also providing additional experiences adapted it to our local context – we have included local artists such as Derryck Stephen Crowther and also ensure that it covers a diverse range of inspiration from a range of cultures. 

SEND Statement

Grange Primary promotes a curriculum that puts all pupils, regardless of their needs, at the heart of what we do. By building mutual respect, we accept others for their differences believing that everyone is special and everyone has something to offer. Our inclusive and enriching curriculum, written for all children, provides pupils with meaningful and aspirational experiences as well as promoting personal growth for life-long learning. When the curriculum needs adapting to suit the needs of individual children, appropriate modifications are made by the class teacher with support from the SENDCo and the Curriculum Subject Lead.

Contact Information

If you would like further information regarding art and design at Grange, please get in touch with Miss Bage or Miss Mottram our art and design leads through the school office.