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The AccessArt Full Primary Art Curriculum has been devised for schools who teach art each week, primarily as a discreet subject. There are however, lots of ways to link and adapt the AccessArt curriculum to other curriculum areas. This page shares ideas for curriculum links and adaptations.
See other versions of the AccessArt Primary Curriculum and supporting documentation here.
If you have any queries pls email info@accessart.org.uk

Key Stage 1 Curriculum Links & Adaptations
english
Inspired by Flora & Fauna
Explore The Very Hungry Caterpillar, or books illustrated in similar style.
Exploring the World Through Mono Print
Ask children to draw upon their own experience for narratives.
Stick Transformation Project
Link to Julia Donaldson’s ‘Stick Man’.
georgaphy
Simple Printmaking
Adapt to create imagery which explores symbols on maps.
Playful Making
Adapt the playful making approach to make sculptures of Ports and Harbours, Towns, Cities, Villages, The Great Wall of China etc.
Exploring Watercolour
Adapt by choosing colour palettes which link with topics: e.g. blues/greens for an exploration of imagery which evokes oceans. (The emphasis should remain on exploration of material so any theme link should be applied lightly).
Making Birds
Use language which supports understanding about Continents (migration), Maps, Habitats.
Inspired by Flora & Fauna
Explore Habitats, Soil, Vegetation, Cities/Towns/VillagesSeasonal weathers. Use language which supports these ideas.
Explore & Draw
Adapt to explore Habitats.
Exploring the World Through Mono Print
Adapt to explore Habitats or Continents.
Expressive Painting
Be inspired by your local landscape and use gestural brush strokes to paint a scene you know or see, or explore Weather, Habitat, River or Sea.
Music & Art
Adapt the music you listen and draw to, according to geographical region or continent to help develop sense of place.
history
Simple Printmaking
Adapt to create portraits of significant individuals from history.
Be An Architect
Make houses inspired by the architecture of different ages or cultures, for example buildings damaged during the Great Fire of London.
maths
Spirals
Explore Pattern, Position, Direction & Movement.
Simple Printmaking
Explore Pattern, Repetition, Pictorial representation, 2D/3D shapes.
Playful Making
Uses language to support understanding of 2D/3D shapes, Sequence, Measuring, Position & Direction.
Exploring Watercolour
Explore identifying 2D shapes.
Making Birds
Explore the relationship between 2D/3D shapes, Weight, Measuring.
Explore & Draw
Use language to develop understanding of Patterns, Sequence, Symmetry, Pictorial Representation, Repetition.
Exploring the World Through Mono Print
Use language to develop understanding of symmetry (peeling back monoprints).
Be An Architect
Use language which supports understanding of Measuring, 2D/3D shapes.
science
Spirals
Opportunity to use language which supports understanding of Growth, Body, Natural Forms.
Simple Printmaking
Use plants, trees, leaves, food chains, animals as inspiration to draw and make printed patterns.
Playful Making
Uses language to support understanding of properties and manipulation of materials.
Making Birds
Explore Birds, Habitats, Seasons, Food Chains.
Inspired by Flora & Fauna
Identify Common and Wild plants, Insects, Food chains, Life cycle, Living and Decay.
Explore & Draw
Identify Common and Wild plants, Trees, Structures of plants, exploring Local Environments and Habitats, Seasons, Planting and Growing.
Exploring the World Through Mono Print
Animals, Trees, Materials.
Be An Architect
Explore properties of materials e.g. make your architecture waterproof, rough, smooth?
Music & Art
The 5 Senses, the Human Body, Materials.
music and art
Exploring Watercolour
Explore the connection between Art & Music and being in a mindful space.
Music & Art
Rhymes and Chants, Musical Instruments, Combining sounds.
pshe
Spirals
Supports Peer Discussion & Collaboration.
Simple Printmaking
Supports Peer Discussion.
Playful Making
Supports Collaboration, Responsibility to the Planet.
Exploring Watercolour
Supports Peer Discussion, Collaboration, Responsibility to the Planet.
Making Birds
Supports Peer Discussion, Collaboration, Responsibility to the Planet.
Inspired by Flora & Fauna
Supports Peer Discussion, Collaboration, Responsibility to the Planet.
Explore & Draw
Supports Peer Discussion & Collaboration.
Exploring the World Through Mono Print
Supports Peer Discussion & Collaboration.
Be An Architect
Collaboration, Peer Discussion, Ethnic Identity, Different Religions (architecture representative of).
Stick Transformation Project
Collaboration, Peer Discussion, Ethnic Identity.
Music & Art
Explore how we can make art inspired by the sounds we hear. Draw, Collage, Paint and Make.
Key Stage 2 Curriculum Links & Adaptations
english
Telling Stories Through Drawing & Making
Link to “character” books such as Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot, Dirty Beasts, The Minpins or James and the Giant Peach to inspire making.
Making Animated Drawings
Bring characters from literature to life.
Storytelling Through Drawing
Use The Jabberwocky by Lewis Carol as inspiration for this pathway, or choose another story or graphic novel of your choice.
The Art of Display
Make ‘plinth people’ of characters from your chosen book. Explore how they can be displayed to interact with one another and tell the story. Use “plinth” to give voice/performance to narratives in English.
Making Monotypes
Use a poem or story to inspire making your own monotype books.
Set Design
Create set designs inspired by your chosen play or book (for example Esio Trot).
2D Drawing to 3D Making
Create characters inspired by literature.
Shadow Puppets
Use literature to inspire narrative.
geography
Cloth, Thread, Paint
Adapt your focus to create sewn Landscapes/Oceans according to topic.
Sculpture, Structure, Inventiveness & Determination
Link with Birds and Migration via the North and South hemisphere.
Typography & Maps
Trade links, Digital Mapping, Ordinance Survey Maps, Detailed sketching of Maps.
Mixed Media Land & City Scapes
Link your Landscapes to your chosen topic e.g. Cities in the Northern hemisphere, Settlements and Land use, Digital mapping.
Architecture: Dream Big or Small?
Opportunity to talk about issues surrounding climate change to inform the type of houses you make, and the materials you use.
Fashion Design
Trade links and the history of importing textiles from other continents.
history
Working with Shape and Colour
Choose a painting as inspiration which typifies a particular historical period, for example, a painting from Ancient Egypt.
Cloth, Thread, Paint
Create a sewn scene inspired by a local historical event.
Making Animated Drawings
Make an animated drawing / portrait of a well know historical figure.
Storytelling Through Drawing
Create your own sequenced story inspired by an event in history ie from The Anglo Saxons, The Vikings, Ancient Greeks, Ancient Egyptians or The Roman era.
Exploring Pattern
Focus on patterns from your chosen ancient civilisation.
The Art of Display
Create Plinth People inspired by figures from your chosen civilisation topic e.g. the Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses or Roman Emperors. Use a “plinth” to give voice/performance to characters in history.
Exploring Still Life
Depict objects related to your chosen ancient civilisation topic or even arrange for a museum handling collection to visit your school.
Festival Feasts
Look at the food grown during the time of your chosen civilisation topic e.g. Iron Age farming.
Typography & Maps
Create maps inspired by your chosen ancient civilisation topic e.g. an Anglo Saxon settlement or village.
Making Monotypes
Make a zine about your theme or focus.
Set Design
Create a ‘scene’ inspired by your chosen civilisation topic e.g. a Roman Amphitheatre.
Architecture: Dream Big or Small?
Changes in Britain – How architecture has changed from your chosen civilisation topic. Design a bomb shelter inspired by WW2?
Fashion Design
Design clothing inspired by your chosen civilisation topic e.g. Ancient Greek elite, Slaves, Gods or Goddesses.
2D Drawing to 3D Making
Create characters inspired by theme.
Activism
Look at the messaging from WW2 posters.
Exploring Identity
Explore the identity of a figure from your chosen history topic.
Shadow Puppets
Create a narrative around area of focus.
maths
Working with Shape and Colour
2D/3D Shapes, Pattern.
Telling Stories Through Drawing & Making
2D/3D Shapes, Measuring, Weight.
Cloth, Thread, Paint
Pattern, Measuring.
Making Animated Drawings
Measuring, Weight, Position, Direction, Movement.
Using Natural Materials to Make Images
2D Shapes, Pattern.
Exploring Pattern
Measuring, Symmetry, Tessellation/Repeat Patterns, Orientation.
Exploring Still Life
2D and 3D Shapes, Pattern (on object).
Typography & Maps
Pictorial Representations, 2D / 3D Shapes.
Architecture: Dream Big or Small?
Measuring, 2D and 3D Shapes, Symmetry, Angles.
Fashion Design
2D / 3D Shapes, Measuring.
2D Drawing to 3D Making
2D / 3D Shapes, Measuring, Symmetry, Angles, Plot Points.
Take a Seat
Measuring, 2D / 3D Shapes, Symmetry, Angles.
science
Telling Stories Through Drawing & Making
Materials, Animals, Micro Habitats.
Cloth, Thread, Paint
Explore Habitats, Local Environment, Materials.
Making Animated Drawings
Animals, the Human Body, Habitats, Materials.
Using Natural Materials to Make Images
Wild and garden plants, Trees, Structure of plants, Local environment, Birds, every day Materials and Properties, Planting and Growing, the Four Seasons.
Storytelling Through Drawing
Use language to support concepts around Light and Shadow, and how this can be explored on paper through drawing.
Exploring Pattern
Look at patterns in the structure of Fruits or Plants, Reflections and Shadows.
Exploring Still Life
Plants, Trees and Flowers, Rocks and Fossils, Light and Shadow (explore all of these through your still life arrangement).
Sculpture, Structure, Inventiveness & Determination
Language to support understanding of Materials, Habitats.
Festival Feasts
Soil, Room to Grow, Nutrition, Food Groups, Environmental Changes.
Set Design
Light, Shadow.
Mixed Media Land & City Scapes
Local habitat, Environmental changes.
Activism
Environmental changes, Deforestation.
Brave Colour
Light, Shadows.
Take a Seat
Forces and Gravity.
Shadow Puppets
Human body, Animals, Light and Shadow.
music and drama
Gestural Drawing with Charcoal
Listen to music whilst “Dancing with Charcoal”.
Making Animated Drawings
Link to drama to collaborate and act out short narratives.
Exploring Pattern
Use music and sound when doing mindful drawing as part of this pathway.
Set Design
Link to projects in Music and Drama.
Fashion Design
Create costumes for, or in response to, drama or music productions.
Shadow Puppets
Be Inspired by, or make a creative response to, existing productions/themes.
Music & Art
Adapt the music you listen and draw to, according to Geographical Region or Continent to help develop sense of place.
pshe
Working with Shape and Colour
Supports Peer Discussion.
Telling Stories Through Drawing & Making
Supports Responsibility to the Planet, Collaboration, Peer Discussion.
Making Animated Drawings
Supports Collaboration, Peer Discussion.
Using Natural Materials to Make Images
Supports Responsibility to the Planet, Collaboration, Peer Discussion.
Storytelling Through Drawing
Supports Collaboration, Peer Discussion.
The Art of Display
Supports Collaboration, Peer Discussion.
Sculpture, Structure, Inventiveness & Determination
Supports Responsibility to the Planet, Collaboration, Peer Discussion.
Festival Feasts
Supports Responsibility to the Planet, Collaboration, Peer Discussion. Look at foods from different religious ceremonies.
Typography & Maps
Collaboration, Peer Discussion.
Making Monotypes
Supports Responsibility to the Planet, Collaboration, Peer Discussion.
Set Design
Collaboration, Peer Discussion.
Mixed Media Land & City Scapes
Responsibility to the Planet, Collaboration, Peer Discussion.
Architecture: Dream Big or Small?
Responsibility to the planet, Collaboration, Peer Discussion.
Fashion Design
Responsibility to the planet, Collaboration, Peer Discussion, Different Religions, Ethnic Identity.
2D Drawing to 3D Making
Collaboration, Peer Discussion.
Activism
Responsibility to the planet, Collaboration, Peer Discussion, Different Religions, Ethnic Identity.
Brave Colour
Collaboration, Peer Discussion.
Exploring Identity
Collaboration, Peer Discussion, Different Religions, Ethnic Identity.
Take a Seat
Responsibility to the planet, Collaboration, Peer Discussion.
Shadow Puppets
Responsibility to the planet, Collaboration, Peer Discussion, Different Religions, Ethnic Identity.