Art & Design Technology

Soho Parish Curriculum Statement: Art and Design Technology

Intent

We value Art and Design Technology as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad, balanced and rich curriculum. Art and Design provides the children with the opportunities to develop and extend skills and an opportunity to express their individual interests, thought and ideas.

Implementation

We teach to a 2- year curriculum cycle which has been designed to ensure that children receive the breadth of learning required by the National Curriculum and that there is progression and development of their knowledge, understanding and skills over time, through each phase. Each Art and Design technology project is linked to the over-arching curriculum concept for that term and makes cross curricular links with learning in other subjects.

In D&T we follow the ‘Projects on a Page’ scheme which provides progression and coverage of the NC programmes of study for KS1 and 2. Each DT project includes three types of activity:

  • Investigative and Evaluative Activities- where children learn from a range of existing products and find out about D&T in the wider world
  • Focused Tasks- where they are taught specific technical knowledge, designing skills and making skills
  • Design, Make and Evaluate Assignments- where children create functional products with users and purposes in mind

Art and Design and technology takes place as part of the weekly timetable for KS1 and KS2. 

This includes the opportunity to:

  • develop their arts specific vocabulary to respond to, evaluate, explain, analyse, question and critique their own and other people’s artistic works
  • design and create their own work individually or in collaboration with their classmates
  • take part in workshops with professional artists and craftsmen
  • have regular opportunities at each Key Stage to visit cultural institutions and venues, which might include a museum, a theatre, a gallery, a heritage site and a cinema
  • develop children’s awareness of creative industries and cultural activities, in order to develop interests and passions which they can take further. 
  • regularly celebrate their achievements through displays in class, exhibitions, class assemblies and key stage productions

Impact

Assessment of children's learning in Art and Design Technology is through ongoing monitoring of children's understanding, knowledge and skills by the class teacher, throughout lessons and in line with the National Curriculum expectations of attainment. This assessment is then used to inform differentiation, support and challenge required by the children as well as inform future planning.

Art and Design Technology is also monitored by the subject leader throughout the year in the form of book monitoring, looking at outcomes and lesson observations. 

Pupil voice is used to further develop the Art and Design curriculum, through questioning of pupil’s views and attitudes to the Arts, to support the children’s enjoyment and to motivate learners. We collect pupil’s views through our School Arts Council and celebrate achievements throughout the year through many events and displays at school.