“Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.” National Curriculum 2014

Early Years Pupils should be taught:

Expressive arts and design which involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.

Key stage 1 Pupils should be 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 should be 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.

- 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.