Art and Design

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What is the Intent of the Art and Design Curriculum?

Art and Design is a universal, inclusive visual language accessible to all learners, regardless of starting point.

Our approach is guided by three core principles:

Ambition and Inclusion for All - We believe that Art and Design is a universal, inclusive visual language accessible to all learners, regardless of starting point.
High-Quality Teaching and Learning - We are committed to delivering high-quality, evidence-informed teaching that explicitly models, scaffolds and revisits key knowledge and skills.
Independence and Personal Expression - We prioritise the development of independent, reflective and creative learners. Through increasing opportunities for choice and ownership, students are supported to produce meaningful, personal and original responses.

At Marsh Academy, the Art and Design curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and coherently planned to ensure all students experience a rich breadth of creative opportunities. Our intent is to equip students with high-quality disciplinary knowledge, practical skills and creative confidence that will support them not only in further study, but throughout their lives.

We are committed to fostering a lifelong appreciation of the arts by providing both a strong in-school curriculum and a wide range of enrichment opportunities, including trips, extra-curricular activities, and engagement with professional artists, designers and craftspeople. These experiences build students’ cultural capital and broaden their understanding of creative industries.

Throughout Key Stage 3, the curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure progression in both substantive knowledge (e.g. understanding of artists, movements, materials and contexts) and disciplinary knowledge (e.g. drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles and 3D practices). Students are given opportunities to experiment with a wide range of media and processes, enabling them to develop technical proficiency and confidence in expressing ideas visually.

Our curriculum is designed to demonstrate that Art and Design is a universal and inclusive visual language, accessible to all pupils regardless of starting point. Through studying a diverse range of artists, cultures and movements, students develop respect, curiosity and an understanding of the wider world, while recognising common themes and connections across time and place.

A key feature of our curriculum is the deliberate development of independence and personal response. As students’ progress through the key stages, they are increasingly supported to take ownership of their ideas, make informed creative decisions and reflect critically on their work. This ensures that students are well-prepared for the demands of Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5, where independent inquiry and sustained outcomes are essential.

We place strong emphasis on enabling students to create meaningful, personal and original work, fostering a sense of pride and identity in their outcomes. By securing foundational knowledge and technical skill, students are empowered to respond confidently and imaginatively to themes, demonstrating fluency in the visual language of Art and Design.

Rationale

The Art and Technology department delivers a broad, ambitious and inclusive curriculum that provides clear progression from Key Stage 3 through to Key Stage 5. Our curriculum is designed to ensure that all students develop the knowledge, skills and creative confidence required to succeed in Art and Design, while also preparing them effectively for their next stage of education, employment or training.

At Key Stages 4 and 5, we follow established and rigorous qualifications, including

AQA GCSE Art, Craft and Design
AQA GCSE Photography
AQA A-Level Photography
BTEC L3 Art and Design pathways

These courses have been carefully selected to offer both academic and vocational routes, ensuring that students can pursue pathways that reflect their strengths, interests and aspirations. At Key Stage 5, students are supported to specialise in disciplines where they have demonstrated aptitude at GCSE, enabling them to produce increasingly independent, sustained and personal work.

The Key Stage 4 curriculum is designed to build on prior learning by developing a broad and secure foundation of knowledge and technical skill across disciplines. Students explore a range of processes and media, allowing them to refine their practice and begin to take ownership of their creative outcomes. This stage bridges the gap between structured learning and the independent inquiry required at Key Stage 5.

Our Key Stage 3 curriculum has been carefully sequenced to ensure students gain the substantive knowledge (artists, movements, cultural context) and disciplinary knowledge (skills, techniques and processes) needed for future success. It also introduces students to the breadth of possibilities within Art and Design, broadening their understanding of creative careers and building their cultural capital.

Year 7 focuses on cultural understanding and foundational skills, introducing students to diverse artistic traditions such as The Art of India, Islamic Art and Contemporary British Art and Design. This supports students in recognising how art is shaped by social, historical and geographical contexts, while also making meaningful cross-curricular links.
Year 8 develops students’ contextual knowledge and technical experimentation through the study of key movements, including Impressionism, Cubism and Surrealism. Students build confidence in analysing and responding to artistic influences while refining their use of materials and processes.
Year 9 provides a transitional stage towards KS4, where students undertake more sustained projects such as Me, My selfie and I and Pop Art. These projects encourage increasing independence, helping students to apply their knowledge and skills in more personal and conceptually driven responses.

Overall, the curriculum is designed to move students from guided exploration to independent, confident creativity, ensuring that all learners are well-prepared for formal qualifications and equipped with the ability to think critically, create meaningfully and engage with the wider world through Art and Design.