Art & Design

Art, craft and design are some of the most engaging and inspiring forms of creativity. At Riversdale, we aim to provide a high-quality art and design curriculum that equips our pupils with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art. Our curriculum encompasses a range of skills including drawing, painting, scultpure and collage and it encourages the pupils to think critically about their work and the work of others, developing a more rigorous understanding of art and design over time.

Throughout the curriculum, the pupils will explore a wide range of artists from varying backgrounds, learning how both art and design reflect and shape our history and contribute to our modern-day culture.

Curriculum Progression

At Riversdale Primary School we believe in the importance of all children developing a deep understanding of Art and Design and in embedding the substantive knowledge and disciplinary skills into their long-term memory. As such, the progression of Art and Design has been carefully mapped, with a consideration to connected subject matter and opportunities to revisit specific concepts over time.

You can find a copy of the 2024-25 Art and Design Progression Document here.

Lesson Delivery

All children are taught by a specialist art teacher, in dedicated art lessons once a week. They are given the opportunity to experiment with a range of media and techniques, specialising in drawing, painting and sculpture, as well as alternating between printing and collage each year. Pupils develop a wide range of domain specific knowledge and skills, including concepts such as colour theory and composition, making links to the work of various artists.

Pupils are provided with a Knowledge Organiser that:

  • outlines prior learning that they will be building upon,
  • lists the sequence of lessons so that pupils know what they are studying,
  • identifies the most significant knowledge that they should gain
  • includes images of key concepts, or significant examples to provide additional context for the pupils
  • defines the subject specific terminology that they are expected to learn and use.

You can find some examples of 2023-24 Knowledge Organisers for Art and Design below:

Outside of the curriculum, we develop the children’s art skills, through a number of in-house art events and competitions. We also share the children’s art work by taking part in local and national competitions and community events. There is also an art club that children can attend, and children have the opportunity to help with activities such as set design for a range of school productions, such as the Drama Club end of year show and the Year 6 Leavers’ Production.

Curriculum Policies

Please find our Art and Design policy below:

Useful links
Useful Links for Parents

Here's a quick link to some useful information for parents and carers, including home learning apps and the school's communication app.

Find out more
Watch our video
Video Tour

Come on an exciting video tour of our lovely school.

Find out more
Our address
Our Address

    Riversdale Primary School
    302A Merton Road
    Wandsworth London
    SW18 5JP

    0208 874 6904
Directions
Get Directions

Enter your post code into the box below and we’ll provide you with a list of directions to our school.