It’s important to assess Art and design skills and knowledge as they provide valuable insight into each child’s progress and areas of improvement, but it can be tricky. Continue reading to learn why assessing art is important, how it works, and the benefits of peer reviewing. 

We will also introduce you to Kapow Primary’s Art assessment tool. This visual resource takes a unique approach to support teachers in assessing Art and design in primary schools.

By the end of this blog, you will better understand how assessment plays a crucial role in teaching and learning art.

Why do we assess in Primary Art and design?

There are a few reasons. Assessment of pupils’ progress:

• Helps you understand how they are developing in the subject and allows you to plan how to help them grow in the future
• Allows you to report information to parents/carers
• Supports your future targets and measures your school’s progress.

Many Art teachers find the notion of assessing children’s work difficult. In 2013, the Department for Education removed levels and archived the exemplification of standards that were being developed as an online tool. This means that there are no national standards for the subject. Your own approach will probably have to align with your school policy and with how you use Assessment for Learning (AFL). 

Since 2013, schools have needed to use their own approaches to formative assessment to support pupil attainment and progression, and the assessment framework should be built into the whole school curriculum. Ofsted’s inspections are informed by whatever pupil-tracking data schools keep.

This is where using Kapow Primary’s Art and design scheme can prove invaluable. We provide you with all the resources to plan, teach and assess effective Art and design lessons, saving you time and energy and ensuring that you can show evidence of robust assessment. Whether you teach from our KS1, LKS2 or UKS2 Art and design scheme of work, let us guide you every step of the way.

There are two main types of assessment, and each takes place at different points in the learning process.

• Formative takes place both before and during the learning process.
• Summative takes place at the end of key segments in a learning cycle or at the end of an art project.

How does assessment in Art and design work?

Formative assessment in art occurs throughout the learning process through dialogue and conversation. Because we value pupils’ creative and individual responses in the subject, we should give open-ended feedback and use effective questioning techniques. 

Kapow Primary’s Art and design scheme has assessment materials and quizzes for each unit, which can help you with summative assessment. You can view an example of these for the Year 1 Drawing unit assessment here, and pupil answer sheets.

Progress in Art and design can be demonstrated strongly through the use of sketchbooks in primary schools to record ideas, reflections, critical analysis of artists, and development of technical skills. Each child is unique, and each sketchbook should be unique, enabling pupils to develop independence and creativity. Pick up a book, flick through it, and you will see ideas developing, skills improving, knowledge being recorded, and critical thinking about artworks and the purpose of a project.

What about peer review in Art and design?

Another useful assessment method in the subject is self- and peer-review, which builds on the long tradition of the ‘crit’ or ‘critique’ prevalent in the wider world of art education. If pupils know objectives and success criteria, then they will be able to do this successfully. 

It is likely to be mainly oral with younger children, but as they progress through school, written annotations will support this. If, while teaching, you constantly use vocabulary and language linked to a particular project, the children’s knowledge will increase.

Social constructivist theory (Vygotsky, 1978) supports peer assessment because children observe and apply skills they learn from each other. In self-assessment, individuals or groups need to reflect on their own work to identify strengths as well as areas that need improvement, and this ‘ownership’ increases motivation. 

In both peer assessment and self-assessment, you, as a teacher, will provide both language and structure, but will allow your pupils to develop their own ideas about improving and developing their work.

The Kapow Primary Art assessment tool

Art is a unique subject. It does not always have a clear linear path, and it is not possible to assess creativity and individuality using the same assessment methods as in other subjects. This is why we created the Art assessment tool.

This visual assessment tool helps teachers assess the practical skills that children develop by following our Art & Design scheme of work:

• Making skills
• Generating ideas
• Use of sketchbooks

The tool provides examples showing the expected standards for each year group to enable teachers to assess these skills confidently.

The assessment tool is divided into four areas: 

• Drawing
• Painting and mixed media
• Sculpture and 3D (coming soon)
• Craft and design (coming soon)

Assessment in Art and design needs to support the growth and creativity of each child while enabling teachers to tailor future learning experiences effectively. Teachers can provide more structured feedback and clearer progression paths for pupils by using tools such as Kapow Primary’s Art assessment tool. Furthermore, incorporating peer and self-review develops a deeper understanding and appreciation of art, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and reflective learning. As we move away from traditional assessment methods, it is important to embrace alternative approaches that celebrate individuality and create an environment where every child can express their creativity and artistic talent.

Recommended reading about Art and design assessment

• Teaching Primary Art and Design: Emily Gopaul
• Teaching Primary Art and Design: Susan Ogier
• Art in the Primary School: Creating Art in the Real and Digital World: Jean Edwards (Author), Helen Caldwell (Author), Rebecca Heaton (Author)
• Mastering Primary Art and Design: Peter Gregory