Art and Design

Intent

As a school we value Art and Design as vital part of the children’s broad and balanced curriculum and recognise its importance in preparing our children to be Global Explorers.  Being 'creative.' is one of the big ideas in our curriculum.  It is important that all children leave us, having had a broad range of experiences to develop and extend their creativity skills, as well as opportunities to express their individual interests and ideas, so that they can aspire to be anything that they want to be.  We want every child to be free of artistic inhibitions, and develop the confidence to fully express themselves; furthermore, we want our children know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.  The success of Art & Design in our curriculum can be seen in many aspects of our pupils’ learning, whether it be drawing pictures of things that make them happy in PSHE, or drawing pictures of an Iron Age fort in History.

The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:

1. Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.

2. Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.

3. Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design.

4. Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

The teaching and implementation of the Art and Design Curriculum at St Nicholas Primary School is based on the National Curriculum and linked to topics to ensure a well-structured approach to this creative subject.  The children are taught Art as part of their termly topic work.  Areas covered include drawing, painting and printing, 3D design and sculpture, based on topic work, such as the 'The Great Fire of London', WWII, 'Viking Art', African Art, 'The Mayans', 'Earth Art', Pointillism, Pop Art and the works of the Impressionist artists. Each year group will also explore the work of famous local, national and international artists in order to enhance the children's learning and raise their aspirations.  More detail can be found in our Long Term plan.

Design and Technology

Intent

As a school we value Design and Technology as vital part of the children’s broad and balanced curriculum and recognise its importance in preparing our children to be Global Explorers.  Being 'creative.' is one of the big ideas in our curriculum.  It is important that all children leave us, having had a broad range of opportunities to develop and extend their design and problem solving skills.  It is our aim that through these learning opportunities and experiences, and the subsequent skills that they develop, children will have the confidence to aspire to be anything that they want to be.  We want every child to be able to solve, or contribute towards the solution of, problems that they may encounter in their lives; furthermore, we aim for every child to have an understanding of function, aesthetics, social and environmental issues, and industrial processes.  The success of Design & Technology in our curriculum can be seen in the resourcefulness and creativity of our pupils, and their ability to approach problems with an “I can solve this” attitude.

The teaching and implementation of the Design Technology at St Nicholas Primary School is based on the National Curriculum and linked, where possible and appropriate, to topics to ensure a well-structured approach to this creative subject.  The children are taught Design Technology as part of their termly topic work.  Areas covered include Food Technology, Textiles and Mechanisms, based on topic work, such as the 'Farms', 'Travel and Transport', 'WWII', Ancient Egyptians, 'The Romans', 'Plants' and the Victorians. The children's learning is further enhanced with the exploration of the work of famous and iconic designers and with the whole school ‘Creative' curriculum day when the children have the opportunity for collaborative working and exploring different creative techniques and activities.  More detail can be found in our Long Term plan.