Art and Design

Through our Art and Design Curriculum here at Willow Tree, we aim to engage, inspire and challenge pupils by providing opportunities to explore a range of media, materials and styles, as well as learning about the themes and works of a number of significant artists.

By equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills, children here have the confidence to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. Most importantly, they have fun doing so! 

In order to ensure that our Art and Design curriculum is both relevant and stimulating, we organise various school trips and workshops, making links with local artists and organisations. We often take our art outdoors, considering both natural and man-made stimuli, and encouraging the children to ‘think BIG’ for much of their work. Children in Key Stage One work with their class teacher to build banks of ideas and mood boards, preparing them to take ownership of their own sketchbooks once they reach Key Stage Two. 

Specifically, our Art and Design Curriculum is centred around the following areas of making:  

• Drawing 
• Painting and Colour 
• Sculpture and 3D 
• Collage 
• Printing 
• Textiles 

Our children are encouraged to form opinions and to look closely at the styles of significant artists, considering how they may influence their own artwork and designs. We impart relevant theoretical and disciplinary knowledge, encouraging pupils to consider the ‘why’ behind artists’ works and to question how art may be received or valued differently by others, with an understanding that art remains continually fluid and dynamic.