Art

Curriculum Intent

Our intent for art is to not only model and teach the skills and knowledge for art, but also to nurture a passion for creativity and a development of personal ideas and growth. We aim to provide a wealth of opportunities for children to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. Children should be given opportunities to experiment with a variety of media, techniques and presentation and have opportunities to explore the works of great artists.

Our Art and Design Curriculum

The children at St. Leonard's love their art and design lessons. They allow them the opportunity to explore and be creative within a safe environment where they can produce pieces that they are proud of. 

Art and design lessons at St. Leonard's follow the pathways of Access Art. This curriculum focuses on the disciplines below and carefully maps them out to ensure that the children's artisitic skills and knowledge are developed from when they join us, to when they leave in Year 6. The children's outcomes are entirely their own; they are given opportunities to learn from other artists, plan their pieces and evaluate them at the end of each pathway. 

As we are a small school, we follow a two-year cycle for Art and Design. Below you will find the Curriculum Map, which will indicate what your child will be learning in art each term. Our curriculum has been carefully mapped out to ensure that we're fully inline with the expectations in the National Curriculum. We have also produced a progression of skills document, so we can make sure that the children's artists knowledge and skills is mapped out and developed during their time with us. 

If you have any Art and Design related questions please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Cooke, who leads the subject in our school.

office@st-leonards-wigginton.staffs.sch.uk

Our school priorities for 2025/6 in Art and Design:

• To ensure the new subject leader has the knowledge, skills and understanding to be able to carry out the role effectively.
• To review the assessment of art to ensure that it's robust, accurate and appropriate for the subject.
• To continue to raise the profile of art and design within school.  

Art and Design Curriculum and Progression of Skills

National Curriculum Link:

Policies

Ideas to support your budding artists at home:

• Provide Diverse Materials: Offer a range of resources like crayons, chalk, clay, and paints to explore different textures and techniques.
• Encourage "Junk Modelling": Use household objects, recycling (cardboard, containers), and natural items to create, promoting both art and sustainability.
• Establish a Sketchbook Habit: Encourage carrying a sketchbook to draw from observation—a tree, a building, or a scene—to build confidence and observational skills.
• Focus on Process, Not Product: Emphasize that there is no "wrong" way to make art. Encourage creativity, risk-taking, and learning from mistakes rather than focusing on a perfect final piece.
• Display Their Work: Create a gallery space at home using frames or hanging, which builds self-esteem and pride.
• Discuss Art: Ask open-ended questions about their work or pieces in museums, focusing on feelings, textures, and colors.
• Take it Outside: Go on "sketching trips" to local parks, churchyards, or just the garden to spark inspiration. 
• Study Artists: Explore the work of different artists to inspire new ideas and techniques

St. Leonard's Art Gallery 2026

On Thursday 26th February, St. Leonard's hosted our very first Art Gallery. It was such a wonderful       opportunity for our children to display their artistic talents for all to see. We've also submitted lots of your artwork to the Young Artists' Summer Show, so watch this space! 

Have a click through the photos below to see the massive amounts of talent our children have! 

Whole-School Art Project 2025

In 2025, we commissioned the local artist Anne Tyson to guide our pupils in creating a whole-school art mosaic. During the day, all of the children in our school visited her and together they created this wonderful piece, which now proudly hangs in our hall. 

We wanted a piece that really represents us and our identity as a school. Together with the children, we carefully designed this piece to reflect our Christian Distinctiveness and the values in which we live our lives. 

Whole School Art Day 2023

Whole School Art Day 2021

Our Art Gallery

Y3/4 Artwork, inspired by the Shoreditch Sketcher

Typography in Y5/6

Exploring Self-Portraits in Y4

Y4/5 Multimedia Characters

Using different media across school