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Equalitas primary trainees recently took part in an in-person training day at the National Gallery, delivered in partnership with gallery educators.
The day focused on teaching the trainees how to develop expertise in art teaching. They deepened their understanding of substantive and disciplinary knowledge and thought about how to develop oracy through art teaching. Trainees explored practical strategies to support children in talking about art, building confidence and exploring their reactions to a piece of art.
Reading a Painting
A key strand of the training was helping children to ‘read’ a painting. Trainees looked at how to guide pupils in noticing foreground and background, colour, composition and subject.
Gallery educators modelled the use of structured questioning to support stronger thinking. This included key questions to encourage children’s observation, interpretation and evaluation.
The session drew on works within the Gallery’s collection, including A Muse (Calliope?) by Cosimo Tura, part of the National Gallery’s Take One Picture programme.
Practical Application
Trainees also took part in practical classroom activities, including a mark-making activity. This demonstrated how simple resources can be used to create purposeful art experiences in the classroom.
The session reinforced how oracy, observation and making can work together to support pupil understanding.
Expert-led training
Working alongside National Gallery educators gave trainees direct access to subject expertise and classroom-applicable practice.
The day reflected the strength of the Equalitas training model, where trainees engage with a wider community of experts and apply this learning to their own teaching.
Trainee Reflections
“It was an amazing experience. The expert advice helped me understand how to communicate meaning through art and how looking at paintings in a fun, engaging way supports children’s expression.”
“I feel much more confident discussing paintings from the oracy-focused session. The mark-making activity in the studio showed me how simple the set-up and execution of art can be.”
“It significantly developed my expertise and confidence in teaching art by modelling practical, engaging strategies that made art accessible and meaningful for pupils. The session demonstrated how to guide pupils to look closely at artwork, encouraging deeper observation and interpretation. “