Art
INTENT:
At Cotmanhay Junior School, we use the Kapow Primary Art and design scheme of work. This scheme of work aims to nurture pupils’ creativity, imagination and visual literacy, encouraging them to think like artists and designers. The intention is for pupils to develop the confidence to experiment, express ideas and communicate meaning through visual and tactile media.
The scheme promotes an appreciation of art as a powerful form of human expression, helping pupils to understand its role across different cultures, time periods and creative industries. It encourages children to value originality, take creative risks and reflect critically on their own work and that of others.
The scheme supports teachers in developing their subject knowledge and pedagogical confidence, enabling the delivery of rich, engaging and purposeful lessons. The curriculum is designed to be both inclusive and ambitious, ensuring all pupils are equipped to enjoy, create and respond to art in meaningful ways.
IMPLEMENTATION:
REACTIVATE:
Each lesson begins with a short activity revisiting prior learning. This helps reinforce key knowledge, activate long-term memory and create connections between past and new learning. Reactivate activities are varied to keep the start of the lesson engaging and fun while still supporting active recall.
LEARN IT:
A short, engaging activity designed to hook pupils into the new learning in the lesson. The activity could be a thought-provoking question, a quick investigation or an interactive discussion to spark curiosity and enthusiasm for the topic.
APPLY IT:
The core part of the lesson, where children engage in activities that develop their understanding of the learning objective. The Main event usually includes a mixture of teacher modelling, guided practice and independent or collaborative tasks tailored to support all learners.
REVIEW IT:
A final reflective activity that consolidates learning. Review it activities could involve reviewing the success criteria, discussing key learning or applying knowledge in a different context to assess understanding and encourage deeper thinking.
Art lessons include a range of strategies to support and challenge every pupil, such as:
- Scaffolding– activities are designed with flexibility in mind, allowing for additional support or challenge where needed.
- Multi-sensory approaches– lessons incorporate different elements to engage all learners.
- Clear instructions and structured tasks– ensuring clarity and reducing cognitive load for pupils who benefit from additional support.
- Opportunities for collaborative and independent learning– allowing pupils to work at their own pace while building confidence and independence.
By embedding adaptive teaching throughout, the scheme ensures that all pupils, regardless of their starting points, can access and succeed in their learning. In addition, the step-by-step curriculum design supports pupils with SEND, avoiding sudden jumps in complexity at transition points and allowing for steady, manageable progression.
IMPACT:
Pupils demonstrate their learning and provide tangible evidence of progress through a variety of activities, including structured written work, annotated diagrams and creative responses. Lessons encourage discussion, reflection and verbal explanations. This allows teachers to capture pupils’ understanding through questioning, class discussions and recorded responses, supporting a broader view of progress beyond written work.
Clear learning sequences ensure knowledge builds over time.
Lessons are aligned with the National curriculum.
Key documents and CPD videos help subject leaders confidently discuss the curriculum.
Knowledge organisers and lesson plans provide details of what has been taught and learned.
The Adaptive teaching section in each lesson provides an opportunity to discuss inclusivity and demonstrate how all learners are supported.