Woodside’s Art & Design Curriculum

“Every child is an artist.” – Pablo Picasso

At Woodside, we believe art is for everyone. Our bespoke Art & Design curriculum has been designed to inspire creativity, nurture talent, and celebrate the diverse community we serve. Art at Woodside is not just a subject—it is a powerful vehicle for wellbeing, spirituality, self‑expression and joy.

A Curriculum That Inspires

Our curriculum enables children to explore, imagine and create through a rich balance of drawing, painting and sculpture. Every child works through a clear and meaningful learning journey built around our four‑part teaching sequence:
Appreciate & Connect → Develop & Master → Create → Appreciate & Connect.
This structure helps pupils build deep understanding—of artists, techniques and themselves as growing young artists.

Rooted in Diversity and Community

Our Artist Spine ensures children meet a wide range of artists—traditional, modern and contemporary—whose backgrounds, cultures, identities and artistic styles reflect the wonderfully diverse world our pupils live in.

Across their time at Woodside, children encounter:

• British and local influences like David Hockney, Barbara Hepworth and LS Lowry
• Global artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Frida Kahlo and Claude Monet
• Contemporary voices including Yinka Ilori, Jean‑Michel Basquiat, Andy Goldsworthy and Banksy
• Artists who champion inclusion such as Augusta Savage, Michelle Reader and Anish Kapoor

This carefully curated spine ensures that every child sees themselves represented—and discovers perspectives far beyond their own.

Designed for Progression and Creativity

From Reception to Year 6, pupils develop mastery in:

• Drawing – from early mark making to expressive portraits and architectural studies
• Sculpture – using clay, recycled materials, natural forms and contemporary processes
• Painting – exploring colour, mood, composition and personal style

Each year group studies one art discipline per term, building confidence, skills and ambition through purposeful, contextualised projects.

Contextualised to Woodside

Our curriculum is intentionally shaped by our school’s identity and community. Children create art inspired by familiar environments—playgrounds, local buildings, nature, street scenes—and by the values that underpin our vision: life in all its fullness.

We also celebrate art as a central part of school life through:

• Messy Harvest, Messy Christmas and Messy Easter, where children, families and the parish create together
• Annual self‑portrait progression, helping pupils reflect on how their skills grow over time
• Our Community Art Exhibition, held every September in our local church
  

What Makes Woodside’s Art Curriculum Special?

• A carefully sequenced curriculum built around mastery
• A diverse, inclusive artist spine connecting children with global and local culture
• A clear, consistent teaching model that builds deep skill progression
• Strong links to wellbeing, spirituality and identity
• Art that is relevant to our pupils and rooted in their lived experiences
• Vibrant opportunities for community creativity

At Woodside, we don’t just teach art—
we grow artists.