Art
Intent:
At Dobwalls School, we believe that art is a vital part of every child’s education, fostering creativity, confidence and self-expression. Our curriculum is built around three key concepts: Colour, Drawing and 3D Form and Perspective, providing a clear progression of artistic knowledge and skills. Through exploring a range of materials, techniques and artists, children learn to communicate ideas visually, think creatively and reflect on their work. We celebrate Cornwall’s rich artistic heritage, landscapes and culture, helping pupils make meaningful connections between their learning and the world around them. Through art, children also develop our SECRET skills, including creativity, resilience, collaboration and reflective thinking, enabling them to flourish both as artists and as lifelong learners.
The National Curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all children:
- 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
Implementation:
Art is taught through three carefully planned units each year, centred around our key concepts of Colour, Drawing and 3D Form and Perspective. These concepts are revisited throughout a child’s journey at Dobwalls to ensure knowledge and skills are built progressively through our spiral curriculum.
Each unit is linked, where appropriate, to wider curriculum topics, allowing children to make meaningful connections between art and subjects such as History, Geography and English. Learning is enriched through the study of significant artists, designers and craftspeople, including those connected to Cornwall’s rich artistic heritage.
Children develop their understanding through practical exploration of a range of media and techniques, including drawing, painting, sculpture, printing and collage. Key vocabulary and knowledge are carefully sequenced and revisited through our Flashback 4 approach, helping pupils retain and apply prior learning over time.
The development of our SECRET skills is embedded throughout the curriculum, encouraging children to make connections, ask questions, engage with their learning, consider audience and share their ideas. Teaching is adapted to meet the needs of all learners, ensuring every child can succeed and develop as a confident artist.
Art Knowledge Organisers Y1 to Y6
Art Progress of Skills Dobwalls Primary School
Impact:
By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils at Dobwalls have developed a strong understanding of the key artistic concepts of Colour, Drawing and 3D Form and Perspective through a carefully sequenced and progressive curriculum. They can apply a range of artistic techniques confidently, use subject-specific vocabulary accurately and make thoughtful choices about the creative process.
Through regular opportunities to study, discuss and create art, children develop as reflective and resilient learners who can think and work like artists. The use of our spiral curriculum, knowledge organisers and Flashback 4 approach enables pupils to retain and build upon prior learning, creating secure foundations for future study.
Pupils leave Dobwalls with an appreciation of both local and global artistic traditions, an understanding of how art can communicate ideas and emotions, and the confidence to express themselves creatively. Alongside artistic knowledge and skills, they develop the SECRET skills of asking questions, making connections and sharing learning, preparing them well for the future.
Examples of our art include:
Year 2 – Printing Techniques
In Year 2, children explore a range of printing techniques inspired by artists such as Andy Warhol and Picasso. They experiment with printing using natural materials, create their own printing blocks, and investigate mono-printing and screen printing. Throughout the unit, they develop their drawing skills, explore pattern and texture, and use their imagination to design and create castle-themed prints.
Year 3 – Stone-age cave art
In Year 3, children explore Stone Age cave art and discover how early humans used natural materials to create images. They experiment with charcoal, chalk and natural paints, developing their drawing and mark-making skills through a range of practical activities. Children investigate the purpose of cave paintings, study examples from the Stone Age and create their own artwork inspired by prehistoric artists
Year 4 – Anglo-Saxon Sculptures
In Year 4, children explore 3D Form and Perspective through the study of Anglo-Saxon architecture. They develop their observational drawing skills, experiment with texture and mark-making, and use a range of materials to create sculptures inspired by Anglo-Saxon homes and buildings. Throughout the unit, children are encouraged to take creative risks, solve problems and express their own ideas, resulting in unique sculptures full of personality.
Year 5 – Is Graffiti Art?
In Year 5, children explore the question ‘Is graffiti art?’ through the study of street art and artists such as Banksy. They investigate the use of colour, lettering and stencilling, considering how artists create impact and communicate messages to an audience. Throughout the unit, children experiment with graffiti techniques, develop their own designs and collaborate to create large-scale artwork inspired by contemporary street art.
Year 6 – One-Point Perspective
In Year 6, children explore the concept of perspective and learn how artists create the illusion of depth and distance in their artwork. They develop their understanding of horizon lines, vanishing points, scale and proportion through a series of drawing challenges and investigations. Throughout the unit, children experiment with one-point perspective techniques before creating a final piece that captures a scene of their choice, using perspective to guide the viewer’s eye through the artwork.
Enrichment:
We aim to provide children with creative, active and real opportunities to learn about art. Our enrichment activities are planned as appropriate to enhance our learning. We link with local artists when possible - you can see a mural created by the whole school on the external wall of our school!
Artist of the Term
Each term, we introduce the children to a famous artist in an assembly to learn their style of art as well as information about the artists.
Year 5 Gallery for Parents/Carers
We loved sharing our artwork and learning with our parents for a gallery! We enjoyed planning our gallery and thinking about how to present our artwork like a really gallery!
Christmas Art Day 2025
On Friday, 28th November, we celebrated Christmas Art Day, dedicating the day to developing our art skills with a focus on colour. Across the school, pupils explored colour alongside printing techniques, progressing in their understanding.
Artwork all linked to the artist Roy Lichtenstein who is our artist for the half term. Each class created an amazing display within the school for everyone to admire including parents and carers as they came to see our festive activities.
The day also focused on developing our SECRET skills, such as "plan-do-review." The children demonstrated an impressive ability to explain and apply these skills throughout the activities.
