Page 3 - Art Auditing the Intent, Implementation and Impact of the Art Curriculum

Curriculum Impact
When inspectors evaluate the impact of the education provided by the school, their focus will primarily be on what pupils have learned.
Inspection experience and research show that the most important factors to consider are that:

o a well-constructed, well-taught curriculum will lead to good results because those results will be a reflection of what pupils have learned.
There need be no conflict between teaching a broad, rich curriculum and achieving success in examinations and tests

o what the school has in place to ensure that the most disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are given the knowledge and cultural
capital they need to succeed in life

o national assessments and examinations are useful indicators of the outcomes pupils achieve, but they only represent a sample of what
pupils have learned. Inspectors will balance these with their assessment of the standard of pupils’ work from the first-hand evidence they
gather on inspection

o learning must build towards a goal. At each stage of pupils’ education, they are being prepared for the next stage of education,
training or employment. Inspectors will consider whether pupils are ready for the next stage by the point they leave the school or
provision that they attend

o inspectors will also consider whether pupils at ages 16 and 18 are ready for the next stage and are going to appropriate, high-quality
destinations

o if pupils are not able to read to an age-appropriate level and fluency, they will be incapable of accessing the rest of the curriculum, and
they will rapidly fall behind their peers.

Note: The draft handbook also states:

‘The school’s use of assessment
When used effectively, assessment helps pupils to embed knowledge and use it fluently, and assists teachers in producing clear next steps for
pupils. However, assessment is too often carried out in a way that creates unnecessary burdens for staff and pupils. It is therefore important that
leaders and teachers understand its limitations and avoid misuse and overuse.
Inspectors will therefore evaluate how assessment is used in the school to support the teaching of the curriculum, but not substantially increase
teachers’ workloads by necessitating too much one-to-one teaching or overly demanding programmes that are almost impossible to deliver
without lowering expectations of some pupils.’

Subject leaders should consider how assessments in their subject are carried out and how this information is used meaningfully to inform
teaching and progression for pupils.

The following table of questions has been designed to enable art leaders to audit their curriculum against the three ‘I’s - Intent, Implementation
and Impact. The questions are based on Ofsted’s own curriculum research, adapted for specific subject leadership.

© Focus Education Ltd. 3