Art | Welsh House Farm

Art & Design

Our Curriculum Intent

At Welsh House Farm Community School, we believe that Art and Design is a vital part of every child’s education. Our curriculum is designed to stimulate creativity, imagination, and visual literacy.

We use the fully sequenced Oak National Academy curriculum framework. This ensures that all pupils—from Early Years to Year 6—systematically develop their skills in drawing, painting, sculpture, and digital media over time.

Inclusivity at the Core: Lessons are structured so every child can access materials, build confidence, and express their unique ideas.

Diverse Perspectives: Children study a wide range of diverse, world-class artists, craftspeople, and architects.

Building Visual Vocabulary: Pupils learn to critique their own work and articulate their artistic choices using precise vocabulary.

In Early Years Foundation Stage, the teaching of Art and Design follows the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, alongside guidance from Development Matters and Birth to 5 Matters. Expressive arts and design is a specific learning area which encourages our youngest artists to create original responses, not just to copy or imitate existing artworks. It fosters imagination, curiosity, creativity, cognition, critical thinking and experimentation. Expressive arts and design is broken down into two aspects: ‘Being Creative with Materials’ and ‘Being Imaginative and Expressive’. The children in the foundation stage at WHF have daily access to the creative areas and develop their skills and imagination through child-initiated learning.

All of our art teaching at Welsh House Farm is all underpinned by the National Curriculum for Art and Design:

"Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation."
National Curriculum 2014 – Art and Design Purpose of Study

Explore Oak National Academy Primary Art Units – Browse interactive classroom slides, vocabulary lists, and teacher resources.

Access Home Learning Video Modules – Step-by-step video guides hosted by specialist art teachers to help children catch up or refine their techniques.

Useful Links

Downloads

Art Policy

Art Glossary

Art Vocabulary Progression

Artists Index

Our school art work is celebrated through vibrant displays within classrooms and across the whole school. Each child also has an individual ‘Art and Design Profile’, which showcases the progression of their skills across the seven strands, from Year 1 through to Year 6. The children are encouraged to evaluate their own work and the work of others, progressively developing the confidence to voice their personal opinions about a range of art.

We hold whole school competitions to encourage our children to engage in creative projects outside school. The children are given the freedom to submit entries in a wide variety of forms, including 3D models, drawings, paintings – even puddings! Our competitions usually tie in with local or National events, such as the Coronation of King Charles III.

Also, whilst at Welsh House Farm, our children are given the opportunity to work with professional artists and to view works of art in the wider world. The school enjoys being involved in arts-based community projects, where the children work with artists to create works of art for the carnival procession around the Welsh House Farm estate.

“Art is not just a subject to learn, but an activity that you can practise with your hands, your eyes, your whole personality,” Quentin Blake