Art and Design Technology
Art: Purpose of Study
Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
The aims of the National Curriculum ensure that pupils develop key skills in Art, which are set out below, and these are incorporated into our long term plans:
- produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
- become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
- evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
- know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms
Design Technology: Purpose of Study
Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.
We follow the National Curriculum for the teaching of Design Technology, which sets out the following skills for pupils to be able to achieve:
- to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
- to build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
- to critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
- to understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.
There are 5 areas of skills for our children to develop: design, make, evaluate, technical knowledge, cooking and nutrition.
National Curriculum Design and Technology.pdf
DT Food and Nutrition Progression Map
Art and Design Technology Coverage
What Does Art and Design Technology Look Like in our School?
Art in Early Years
This half term, the children in Nursery and Reception classes have been exploring the work of the famous artist, Jackson Pollock. Jackson Pollock was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was widely noticed for his "drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a horizontal surface, enabling him to view and paint his canvases from all angles. The children have been using similar approaches, dipping pieces of string in paint and then pulling or flicking the paint in different directions to achieve an effect that is similar to that produced by Pollock. The children clearly enjoyed this painting approach and produced some amazing work, as shown below.
The children have also studied the work of Georges Pierre Seurat who was a French post-Impressionist artist. He devised the painting techniques known as chromoluminarism and pointillism and used conté crayon for drawings on paper with a rough surface. Here are some of the children's work using the pointillism technique.
Art in Key Stage 1
Year 2 have been completely engaged in their printing unit this half term. We’ve been learning all about Mondrian the abstract artist. Building on our knowledge of primary colours, Year 2 have created their own colourful masterpieces in Mondrian’s style.
Amber class have also created sculptures that were inspired by the artist, Barbara Hepworth. She created The Family of Man set of outdoor sculptures in 1980, that represented the stages of human life. Here is our version.
DT in Key Stage 1
As part of Year 2s Design and Technology (DT) unit, Miss Taylor has been working with the children to design and create their own puppets. The unit requires a range of skills that include imaginative ideas, planning a design, cutting materials to a given specification, neat and careful assembly, following instructions and evaluating your finished product. The standard of work produced by the children was absolutely amazing!
DT in Key Stage 2
Year 5 classes enjoyed a DT, Moving Toys Workshop on the 14th December 2022 led by the GoConstruct STEM Ambassadors from SETPoint. All the children made their own cam mechanism to create a moving monster. The skills the children developed in the session included:
- Design or a monster image using colour and patterns
- Precise measuring and cutting of card and wood materials using scissors and a handsaw
- Precise fixing of materials using a hot glue gun (safety guidelines followed by the children)
- Understanding the effect of a pulley and levers – testing how the pulley works to open the monster’s mouth
- Presenting their finished designs – thinking what they liked / would improve on
DT Nutrition in Key Stage 2
As part of the DT Nutrition and Cooking curriculum, the year 6s learnt how to create a recipe for a savoury tart. They thought about taste and texture and planned their recipes using seasonal ingredients. The children then developed their skills in making short crust pastry and a vegetable based filling. As well as preparing and weighing the ingredients, the children learnt about cooking times and temperatures and basic hygiene when working with food.
What our children tell us about Art and Design Technology:
"I like designing things."
"I like using my imagination."
"I like learning different techniques to do things."
What I’d like to learn next:
"I'd like to create a piece of art that’s to do with climate change that uses recycled materials."
Our Art in the Community
On 15th June, our Year 5 ATAs (Active Travel Ambassadors) led the school in our Clean Air Day activities. Each class created pieces of art work for the village subway. Our four ATAs, members of the community and parents gathered at the subway where the children presented the school’s work towards our Travel Plan and information about Clean Air Day 2023. Mrs Karmock was very impressed with how well the children shared their ideas and information. Here is a sample of the wonderful art work on display in the subway.
