Creativity in the Classroom – Art CPD for Schools: Progression Series:
Progression Series: Developing an Ambitious Art Curriculum
Workshop details
Date: Friday 22nd May 2026
Time: 9.30am-3.30pm
Venue: Wolverhampton School of Art
Cost: £95 (Refreshments provided on welcome, please bring your own lunch)
Student Discount: We are delighted to offer a 50% discount on all of our CPD workshops for students in Initial Teacher Education, or those studying full-time teaching degrees either at an undergraduate or postgraduate level and registered at a university or institution in the UK. In order to claim this discount students must have valid student ID and we’ll ask for this when we confirm your booking. Please contact us directly to make a student booking.
Who is it for? Primary Art Leads, Primary Teachers
Book: Places on this workshop are limited and we anticipate a strong demand for tickets, so please do secure your space early to avoid disappointment.
Paying by invoice: if you would prefer to pay by invoice then please contact us directly by emailing Felicity Martin.
The programme
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.
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.
Becky will be joined by: Mandy Barrett artist and Specialist Art teacher working at Gomersal Primary School in West Yorkshire. Mandy will be sharing how she has developed a diverse art curriculum that builds on pupils’ artistic skills and enables them to be curious and expressive while using sketchbooks to record progress and reflections and Fay Patrick who has a vast range of expertise in primary teaching and leadership including EYFS Lead, Arts and Curriculum Innovation Lead, SENCO and Inclusion Lead. Fay will share how she uses contemporary art influences and storytelling in her art curriculum to build pupils art skills and oracy development.
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.
About Becky
Becky Thompson is a qualified art teacher with 15 years of experience of working in schools as a subject specialist and art lead. As Education Producer for Arts Connect, Becky designs and delivers professional development and learning programmes with teachers and art educators. Through her role she supports primary and secondary teachers to build their art skills and knowledge, enhance their art curriculum and grow cultural opportunities for children and young people.
Becky is also a practicing visual artist who specialises in developing and leading art and craft workshops with young people and community groups. She has recently led on an art-based youth voice programme with The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and is part of an artist collaborative residency working across the Dudley borough as part of the Dudley Creates cultural strategy. Becky is a Trustee of the New Art Gallery Walsall.
Accessibility
For the accessibility guide for the Wolverhampton School of Art, please go here.
To complete our Access Survey and let us know about your requirements please go here.
For questions or further information around accessibility, please contact Felicity Martin, Communications and Marketing Manager .
Get in touch
Please contact Arts Connect for further information about this workshop or the Creativity in the Classroom, Art CPD for Schools programme.