At Alexandra Primary School, we are passionate about nurturing creativity and artistic expression in all our pupils. To ensure we deliver the highest quality Creative Arts education—including Art—we have proudly joined the Artsmark programme. Artsmark is the nationally recognised creative quality standard for schools, accredited by Arts Council England, reflecting our dedication to excellence in this vital area.

As part of our Artsmark journey, we have developed a comprehensive Creative Arts Action Plan. This plan guides how we thoughtfully plan, develop, and evaluate arts, culture, and creativity throughout our curriculum, ensuring a coherent, consistent, and inspiring learning experience for every child.

Key stage 1

Our pupils are taught:

• to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products
• to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination
• to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space
• about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.

Key stage 2

Pupils are taught to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.

Our pupils are taught to:

• to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas
• to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials [for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay]
• about great artists, architects and designers in history.

Art Curriculum Overview

• Create an Art Space Set up a small area with paper, crayons, paints, and recycled materials. It doesn’t need to be fancy—just a space where mess is welcome and imagination flows.
• Celebrate Their Work Display drawings on the fridge or frame a favourite piece. This builds pride and confidence.
• Join In Sit and draw together. Ask open-ended questions like “What’s happening in your picture?” or “What might happen next?”
• Use Household Items Egg cartons, leaves, foil, buttons—everyday objects can become tools for sculpture, collage, or printing.
• Explore Online Galleries Take virtual tours of places like the Tate Kids or the National Gallery. Talk about colours, shapes, and feelings in the artwork.