Art and Design Technology
Art
At Benton Dene Primary School we highly value the Arts and teaching creativity. Art and Design allows each child to express themselves and develop their ideas, imaginations, opinions and unique
personality. Art is crucial for developing our children’s social and cultural understanding and in enabling them to find their place in society.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is to remain an artist once they grow up.” – Pablo Picasso.
Skills
We motivate and challenge pupils with an inspiring curriculum and progressive skills. Children are given opportunities to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. Our
children learn progressive skills for drawing, painting, printing, sculpting and collage. Sketch books are used to record observations, practise skills and develop confidence, often building up to creating
a ‘final’ piece of work. Each sketch book is unique and reflects the child’s personality and artistic development. These clearly taught technical skills allow our children confidently express themselves
in a range visual forms.
“If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.” – Edward Hopper
Knowledge
We link our artistic projects to the wider curriculum. Inspiration is drawn from learning about famous artists from all eras and cultures. We constantly evaluate and innovate our curriculum to
ensure the Artists are diverse, relevant and meaningful to the children. Pupils are taught that art is subjective and we encourage them to talk openly about their own opinions. We ask children to
recognise the value of all different forms of Art and to develop a way of expressing themselves artistically which suits their own strengths and interests. This helps to build up confidence in those
children who think they are ‘no good at art’.
“To be an artist is to believe in life.” – Henry Moore
Evaluation
Pupils are encouraged to evaluate and improve their work using artistic language. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and assess their own work and the work of their peers. We
teach Artistic learning as a process. It is the cycle of creating ideas, developing them, solving problems and evolving which is critical to developing a creative mind and independent learners. We
want children to be proud of what they have achieved and to see the value in what they have produced.
“Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it.” – Salvador Dali
For more information, please read the Art National Curriculum below.
Art and Design Overview
Art and Design 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.
Aims
The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:
- 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.
Subject content
Key stage 1 pupils will be taught:
- to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products
- to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination
- to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space
- about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.
Key stage 2 pupils will be taught:
- to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.
- to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas
- to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials [for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay]
- about great artists, architects and designers in history.
Design Technology
At Benton Dene Primary School we provide an inspiring, relevant Design and Technology curriculum. Our children develop skills and understanding in a progressive way through a curriculum which allows them to use a wide range of tools and materials. We ask children to explore, innovate, imagine and independently solve problems and find solutions. Children design and make products that solve real and relevant problems and respond to their own and others’ needs. Our curriculum is rigorous and broad and balanced. We teach very traditional skills such as woodwork, mechanisms, sewing and cookery in an exciting innovative way. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.
Four design and technology concepts underpin all teaching:
- Design
- Make
- Evaluate
- Technical knowledge
"We want to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists and we want to do this by hands-on learning and experimentation." James Dyson, Chief Engineer
Design
Children acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. 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. Children consider ethical implications and human impact of real life products and the products they
are designing and making. Imagination and creativity is key and the children are given the freedom to generate their own ideas and explore for themselves which ones are most effective. We ask
children to work both independently and as part of a group where they have to speak and listen effectively to create collaborative designs.
"The principal goal of education is to create men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done." - Jean Piaget
Make
Units of learning allow children to explore designing and making in an independent way, so they can explore new materials and find out for themselves what works and what needs changing. The
children are taught precisely how to use new tools and materials in a step by step process. They are then asked to apply these skills independently to consolidate their learning. Children learn how to physically manipulate a wide range of tools and explore how materials can be joined, altered and used in the most effective way. The learn about materials and their uses and how uses of materials have changed and progressed over time. Children are provided with high quality materials for their projects to ensure the outcome is as effective and successful as possible.
Evaluate
Children have opportunities to reflect on their work and evaluate their product and design. They are given opportunities to suggest what has been successful, what they would do differently all referring
back to the original purpose of the task. Vocabulary is embedded throughout each unit and is key at this point in helping children to articulate their ideas and opinions. This process of imagining solutions to a problem and then evaluating how effective they are is key in developing children’s creativity, resilience and perseverance. These skills can be transferred right across the curriculum.
"Technology in the classroom is NOT the end goal. Enabling learning everywhere is the goal." - Andrew Barras
Knowledge
New design and technology terminology and knowledge is developed through every unit. Staff use knowledge mats to secure new vocabulary to ensure children can talk about and evaluate their work
precisely. Children study work by crafts people and designers and use this to inspire their own designing and making. Children are provided with examples of real life finished products created by
inspirational people in the design industry. We teach children to have aspirations through looking at careers based in the Design Technology sector.
Aims
The national curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils: develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. 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. critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others. understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.
Subject content
Key stage 1
When designing and making, pupils will be taught to:
-Design, design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria.
-Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology.
Make
-Select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing].
- Select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics.
Evaluate
- explore and evaluate a range of existing products.
- evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria.
Technical knowledge
- build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable.
- explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles], in their products.
Cooking and nutrition
- use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes.
- understand where food comes from.
Key stage 2
When designing and making, pupils will be taught to:
Design
- use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups.
- generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design.
Make
- select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing], accurately.
- select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities.
Evaluate
- investigate and analyse a range of existing products.
- evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work.
- understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world.
Technical knowledge
- apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures.
- understand and use mechanical systems in their products [for example, gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages].
- understand and use electrical systems in their products [for example, series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors].
- apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.
Cooking and nutrition
- understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
- prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques.
- understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed. .
