At Exeter Road, we have built our art curriculum from the pathways available in the AccessArt Curriculum.  AccessArt pathways are designed around the idea that art is far more than a series of technical skills, their holistic curriculum nurtures creative thinking skills and helps ensure our pupils learn through art, as well as about art. The AccessArt Curriculum is about OPENING UP what art is, giving pupils lots of different kinds of opportunities and experiences (media, techniques, approaches, artists), all underpinned by creative use of drawing and sketchbooks.

We study artists, designers and craftspeople not so we can make copies or imitations of their style, but so we can learn from the way they see the world.

Each pathway follows a particular format which promotes excellent teaching & learning:

- Warm-up: Artists: Activity: Reflection

- Artists: Materials: Activity: Reflection

- Challenge or Brief: Artist: Activity: Reflection

They provide ideas and resources which have been created by artist-educators to offer a rich art education for pupils. It is up to class teachers to assess on an individual or school basis if the resources or tasks might best be adapted to suit the needs of specific classes, and they are encouraged to discuss this with the art subject leader to ensure the integrity of the progression plan is not affected.

Within the making phase of a sequence, teachers will balance time to carefully model a technique, with plenty of time for pupils to enjoy open-ended exploration, and project-based learning. They should also have the confidence to celebrate places where pupils diverge from the task (as being signs that they are owning their learning). Lessons will be designed to enable children to develop their evaluation skills, of their own work, of the work of their classmates and the work of professional artists. We will try to ensure that evaluation activities take place throughout projects, rather than just at the end, so that they benefit and shape the creative process.

Our unique Exeter Road curriculum can be found here: