Art at Hillside

Vision: At Hillside, we believe that art is a vessel through which creativity, flair, emotions and personality can all be expressed and appreciated.

Subject Leadership

Subject Leader: Mrs Ashton

Subject Support Coach: Miss D McCann

Link Governor: Jenny Craig

Art Progression of skills and LTP document – [Updated]

A Message from the Subject Leader

I am Mrs Ashton, art subject leader at Hillside Primary School. Hillside’s motto is ‘Developing the Individual’, and I firmly believe that Art and Design contributes significantly to a pupil’s ‘rounded’ development.

Research suggests that the arts develop creativity—a core prerequisite of innovative mindsets, communicative attitudes, and problem-solving. At Hillside, we have designed a high-quality art and design progressive plan that will engage, inspire, and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent, and create their own works of art and design.

Our Curriculum Design

We have designed our curriculum so that art units follow a six-lesson structure. These lessons are carefully sequenced so that pupils’ skills and ideas are refined before producing a final piece:

Artist Review: Analysing the “Artist of the Term,” considering the era and responding to style, line, and form.
Skill Building (Lessons 2-4): Drawing from observation, working in the style of the artist, and practising with the specific medium.
The Final Piece (Lesson 5): Bringing together all skills from previous lessons to create a finished work.
Exhibition & Evaluation (Lesson 6): Thinking emotionally and critically about their own work and providing respectful peer feedback.

Key Stage Progression

EYFS: Art is seminal in achieving Early Learning Goals. Lessons focus on constituent skills like holding pencils effectively, using small tools (scissors/brushes), and showing care when drawing.
Key Stage One: Evidence is gathered through Floor Books. Pupils begin to follow instructions and try new activities independently.
Key Stage Two: Progress is recorded in Sketch Books. Expectations increase from imitating artwork (Year 3) to using art as personal inspiration (Year 4) and making independent choices regarding print types and designs (Year 6).

Art Across the Curriculum

Art is closely linked to other subjects to provide a holistic understanding of each unit:

English: Texts are brought to life through art. For example, Year 6 pupils design persuasive leaflets for Alton Towers with their own illustrations.
Mathematics & Science: Pupils apply accuracy with rulers, understand proportions (fractions/ratio), and explore geometric shapes seen in the work of Lowry and Warhol.
History & Geography: Units are mapped to historical contexts, such as studying Martin Bulinya alongside Africa (Year 2) or William Morris during the Victorian topic (Year 6).
R.E. & British Values: Children explore how religious beliefs are expressed through stained-glass or glyphs. We promote mutual respect and tolerance during peer exhibitions.
PSHE: Art builds self-confidence and allows for the expression of character. We celebrate societal occasions like Remembrance Day and the Queen’s Jubilee through artistic expression.
Computing: Pupils use technology to research famous architects and sculptors or present information via PowerPoint.

SMSC Links (Social, Moral, Spiritual, and Cultural)

Spiritual: Fostering awe and wonder at the achievements of great artists.
Moral: Encouraging mutual respect and sensitivity when acting as a “critical friend” during assessments.
Social: Developing cooperation and communication through collaborative team projects.
Cultural: Studying various civilizations—from the Maassai people in Year 2 to Ancient Maya equipment—to understand how locality and history influence style.

Enrichment & Educational Visits

We place great importance on visits to enhance the curriculum:

Year 1: Brampton Museum outreach (Old toys).
Year 2: Gladstone Pottery Museum (Ceramics and local industry).
Year 3: Outback2Basics (Stone Age art).
Year 4: Roman Day (Jewellery making).
Year 6: Blists Hill (Intaglio Printing).
Community: Jubilee art exhibitions held at the local church.

Assessment & Growth Mindset

Assessment is ingrained into every lesson. Teachers identify whether a pupil is Emerging, Expected, or Exceeding the standard based on our progression map.

The Power of “Yet” We foster a “can-do” attitude to combat the phrase “I’m not good at art.” At Hillside, children are taught that art is not a fixed talent but a skill that can be improved. Every blank page is viewed as an opportunity to grow.