Art CPD for Schools: Progression: Developing an Ambitious Art Curriculum

The Programme

The Creativity in the Classroom – Art CPD for Schools programme is designed for teachers of all stages of experience and expertise and offers a range of practical CPD workshops led by leading art educators.

Each CPD workshop will build your art teaching skills, extend your repertoire of art techniques and grow your subject knowledge to apply and use in the classroom.

Progression Series

The workshops in the Progression Series are designed for primary school teachers and primary Art Leads who have a secure grounding in the teaching of visual art and who want to develop their skills and knowledge to broaden and enhance their art curriculum. The series supports teachers to fulfil the requirements of the national curriculum and responds to the findings of the Ofsted 2023 art and design subject review.

Who is this for?

• Primary Art Leads
• Primary Teachers

What will this day involve?

This CPD day is for primary Art Leads who are responsible for curriculum design and supporting and advising colleagues on its implementation. We aim to grow your knowledge, skills and confidence in developing an ambitious art curriculum that realises the aspirations of the National Curriculum and the needs, interests and strengths of your school community.

We will explore key curriculum design principles and encourage you to reflect on your practice and current art curriculum, identifying areas of strength and your ambition for development. We will pay particular focus to three curriculum design features: progression in a range of art skills and techniques; representation and diversity and encouraging creative self-expression and pupil voice

The day will feature a balance of expert input with individual and group tasks to apply and consolidate learning including

• Expert primary art leads who will share their knowledge and insight through worked examples of what they did, issues they overcame, resources they used and how they continue to refine their curriculum content and models.
• How to introduce a greater diversity of art techniques and artist influences and consider how pupils and the community are represented through the art curriculum.
• Reflecting on the practice of subject leadership and what is involved in introducing new approaches and developing the confidence of colleagues with differing knowledge and skills.

The day will be led by Becky Thompson, Arts Connect’s Education Producer, who has 15 years of art teaching and department lead experience, including the design and implementation of art curriculum and development and the delivery of secondary and primary teacher CPD. Becky is also a practising visual artist.

What will I learn on the day?

On the day you will:

• Focus on curriculum design features including progression in a range of art skills, representation and diversity and creative self-expression and pupil voice.
• Analyse and explore the aims of the Art National Curriculum.
• Consider to what extent your curriculum is meeting these ambitions for children and identify areas for improvement.
• Enhance your knowledge of what makes an inspiring and inclusive art curriculum and how you can apply that to your work.
• Grow your understanding of how to support pupils’ skill and knowledge progression.
• Learn about the range of resources that you can draw upon to enhance your curriculum design.