Art at Linaker Primary School
At Linaker Primary School, our Art and Design curriculum reflects our belief that we are one team where everyone belongs. Through our core values of togetherness, empathy, aspiration and mutual respect, we nurture pupils' creativity and curiosity through art, encouraging them to explore, appreciate and celebrate diverse artists, cultures, traditions and environments while developing an understanding of how art reflects and shapes the world around us.
Our curriculum is inclusive, ambitious and knowledge-rich, ensuring that every child—including those with EAL, SEND and disadvantaged backgrounds—can achieve success and develop confidence as artists. We place a strong emphasis on subject-specific vocabulary, enabling pupils to communicate their ideas, evaluate artwork and express their own artistic opinions with increasing confidence and precision.
We believe that a high-quality Art and Design education should engage, inspire and challenge all pupils. Through carefully sequenced learning, children develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. By studying the work of significant artists, designers and craftspeople from a wide range of cultures, time periods and backgrounds, pupils gain an understanding of how art reflects, influences and enriches society, both past and present.
In the Early Years, children begin their artistic journey by exploring mark making through a variety of materials, tools and sensory experiences. This strong foundation develops progressively throughout the school as pupils build their skills and understanding in drawing, painting, sculpture, printing, collage and textiles. Learning is carefully sequenced so that children revisit and refine previously taught knowledge and techniques before applying them in increasingly sophisticated and independent ways.
As pupils progress through the curriculum, they learn to observe closely, think critically and reflect thoughtfully on their own work and the work of others. They are encouraged to take creative risks, solve problems, persevere through challenges and celebrate individuality in their artistic outcomes. Sketchbooks are used as a personal space to explore ideas, practise techniques and record creative thinking, reinforcing that the artistic process is as valuable as the finished piece.
By the time children leave Linaker Primary School, they will have developed the confidence to express themselves creatively, the technical skills to communicate their ideas effectively and a lifelong appreciation of art and design as a powerful means of understanding themselves, others and the wider world.