ART AND DESIGN

At St Bernadette Primary School, we value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. Art contributes to children‘s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection. Moreover, it enables pupils to develop a natural sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them and a deeper understanding of their own and other’s cultural heritages. This is achieved through studying a diverse range of both male and female artists, designers and architects throughout history.

We aim to provide a high-quality art and design education which should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment 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.

Our art curriculum, allows children to express their creative imagination as well as providing them with opportunities to practise and further develop the key processes of art: drawing, painting, printing and sculpture. Lessons involve studying existing pieces of art, sketching/re-creating aspects of these with various medium, before quite often completing a final piece - all of which focuses on the necessary skills. Pupils are then provided with constructive feedback and next steps to ensure that the skills are being developed. The evidence of their work is collected within the art sketch book which follows the children through the school.

Aims 

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.

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

Design and Technology prepares children to deal with tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. It encourages children to become independent, creative problem solvers and thinkers as both individuals and members of a team. At St Bernadette, we encourage pupils to not only use their creativity and imagination but also market-research to design and make products that respond to real and relevant contexts, considering their own and other’s needs, wants and values.

Through the study of Design and Technology, they combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, as well as functions and industry. This allows them to reflect on and evaluate past and present technology, it's uses and impacts. 

In addition to this, food technology is implemented across the school with children developing an understanding of where food comes from, the importance of a varied and healthy diet and how to prepare food too.

When designing and making, the children are 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 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
• understand and use electrical systems in their products
• apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products

Aims

The national curriculum for Design and Technology aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop the creative, technical and practical expertise need 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.