Our approach to the primary Art curriculum 

This printable PDF document provides an 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 suggested order for teaching Kapow Primary’s art and design units to ensure progression. It provides a brief summary of the learning covered in each unit.

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

This document provides a suggested long-term plan for each year group, supporting a clear pathway for pupil learning. Progression in Art is organised into the following strands, all of which are woven throughout our art units.

• 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.

How does Kapow Primary’s Art and design scheme support progression across different media?

On the long-term plan, you will notice that pupils revisit the same key areas in each year group: drawing, painting and mixed-media, sculpture and 3D and craft and design.

In drawing, painting and mixed-media and sculpture and 3D, pupils build on the skills and knowledge developed in previous years. This supports purposeful progression as they move through the scheme.

The craft and design units work slightly differently. These provide opportunities for pupils to explore a wider range of media, materials and creative processes, helping them broaden their experience and apply their learning in different contexts.

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 to align with your school’s specific requirements and cross-curricular links.

What other Kapow Primary resources support primary art teaching?

• For an online version of this Long-term plan, see our Art curriculum portal.
• We also provide mixed-age and condensed versions.
• 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.
• See how children begin their Kapow creative journey with our EYFS (Reception) Art and design units. 
• Browse our Key stage 1, Key stage 2 and Mixed-age units to learn how children develop their skills in Kapow Primary’s Art and design scheme.
• Find out more about the curriculum choices Kapow Primary made when designing the scheme here.