Our approach to the primary Art curriculum 

This printable PDF document provides a detailed overview of the Kapow Primary Art and design scheme of work, designed to support teaching in EYFS, KS1 and KS2. It helps primary school teachers confidently deliver a well-structured, engaging art scheme, aligned with the National curriculum.

What does Kapow Primary’s Art and design long-term plan contain?

The long-term plan outlines the progression of skills and knowledge in Art and design, ensuring that pupils build upon their learning each year in a spiral curriculum.

It covers the statutory requirements of the National curriculum, details the art skills and knowledge taught, offers guidance on primary art assessment and provides information to support the implementation of Kapow Primary’s Art and design scheme within your primary school setting.

How does Kapow Primary’s art scheme develop knowledge and skills?

This document provides a suggested long-term plan for each year group, ensuring a clear pathway for pupil learning. Progression is broken down into the following key areas:

• Generating ideas – encouraging autonomy; developing creativity; generating original ideas through experimentation.
• Making skills – becoming familiar with the formal elements of art; developing practical knowledge of a variety of media and materials; exploring and testing out different creative methods, tools and techniques.
• Evaluating and analysing – discussing art using appropriate language to analyse a creative work; considering how art is studied, discussed and judged; examining what art is and why people make it.
• Knowledge of artists – exploring traditional and contemporary artists, craft-makers and designers from diverse communities; studying the materials, processes and meanings of these artists.
• Using sketchbooks – documenting and trying out different ideas and media; evaluating and evolving the children’s artwork.

Can I adapt the long-term plan to my school?

All schools have different needs. As such, Kapow Primary’s Art and design units can be taught in different orders or moved within key stages to align with your school’s specific requirements and cross-curricular links.

If you are short on curriculum time, try our Art and design: Long-term plan – condensed.

What other Kapow Primary resources support primary art teaching?

• For our revised, standard Art and design scheme, see Art and design: Progression of skills and knowledge.
• If you follow our Long-term plan – condensed, see the corresponding Progression of skills and knowledge – condensed.
• If you subscribe to both subjects and follow our alternating Art and D&T long-term plan, see the corresponding Art and D&T: Progression of skills and knowledge.
• If you follow our Long-term plan – mixed-age, see the corresponding Progression of skills and knowledge – mixed-age version.
• See how children begin their Kapow creative journey with our EYFS (Reception) Art and design units. 
• Browse our Key stage 1, Lower Key stage 2, Upper Key stage 2 and Mixed-age units to learn how children develop their skills in Kapow Primary’s Art and design scheme.