Rufford Park Primary School

Art and DT

Art:

At Rufford Park Primary School, we believe learning through and about the arts enriches the experience of studying while at school as well as preparing students for life after school. We offer opportunities for children to develop their self-expression and creativity which can in turn build confidence as well as a sense of individual identity. Creativity can also help with wellbeing and improving health and happiness. We believe studying arts subjects also helps to develop critical thinking and the ability to interpret the world around us including developing cultural capital. 

Intent

We aim to:

• Ensure all pupils produce creative, imaginative work and have covered the skills required to meet the aims of the national curriculum. We ensure children have the opportunity to explore their ideas and record their experiences, as well as exploring the work of others and evaluate different creative ideas.
• Provide children with the opportunity to become confident and proficient in a variety of techniques including drawing, painting, sculpting, as well as other selected craft skills, e.g. collage, printing, weaving and patterns. Children will also develop their knowledge of famous artists, designers and craft makers.
• Develop children's interest and curiosity about art and design through lessons offering skills progression, knowledge progression and the opportunities to ask questions and demonstrate their skills in a variety of ways. Art lessons will offer the chance for children to develop their emotional expression through art to further enhance their personal, social and emotional development.

Implementation

At the end of each unit, teacher assessment will be completed to ensure progression of skills and knowledge have been appropriately covered and that outcomes have been met. Each phase focuses on different themes which link to topics where possible to ensure continued interest in the subject as well as acquiring new knowledge. Lessons develop pupils' techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design. Children should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation. Each year, we engage with a local art exhibition which enables children to go and visit their artwork on display and evaluate the work of others. 

Impact

Art and design learning is loved by teachers and pupils across school. Artwork is of a high quality and children are proud of what they produce. Children use technical vocabulary accurately and pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes covered. Children improve their enquiry skills and inquisitiveness about the world around them, and their impact through art and design on the world. Children are more confident in analysing their work and giving their opinion on their own and other works of art. Children show competences in improving their resilience and perseverance by continually evaluating and improving their work. Children in school can speak confidently about their art and design work and their skills. 

Design and Technology:

At Rufford Park Primary School, we believe Design and Technology develops children’s skills and knowledge in design, structures, mechanisms, electrical control and a range of materials, including food. It encourages children's creativity and encourages them to think about important issues. Design and Technology helps to teach Maths, English and other compulsory subjects on the curriculum in a fun and exciting manner and helps put these subjects into real life context. D&T gives children the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding of designing and making functional products. We feel it is vital to nurture creativity and innovation through design, and by exploring the designed and made world in which we all live and work.

Intent

We aim to:

• Inspire children through a broad range of practical experiences to create innovative designs which solve real and relevant problems within a variety of different contexts. The design process is fundamental and runs throughout our planning.
• Create a design process which encourages children to identify real and relevant problems, critically evaluate existing products and then take risks and innovate when designing and creating solutions to the problems.
• Provide time to reflect, evaluate and improve on prototypes using design criteria throughout to support this.
• Provide opportunities for children to evaluate key events and individuals who have helped shape the world, showing the real impact of design and technology on the wider environment and helping to inspire children to become the next generation of innovators.

Implementation

At the end of each unit, teacher assessment will be completed to ensure progression of skills and knowledge have been appropriately covered and that outcomes have been met. Each phase focuses on different themes which link to topics where possible to ensure continued interest in the subject as well as acquiring new knowledge. Design and Technology skills and understanding are built into lessons, following a repetitive design process which allows for the revision of ideas to become part of good practice and ultimately helps to build a depth to children's understanding. Through revisiting and consolidating skills, our curriculum helps children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills, knowledge and challenge. Revision and introduction of key vocabulary is built into each unit of work and children are given opportunities to repeat and revise this knowledge as they progress through school. Through these lessons, we intend to inspire pupils and teachers to develop a love of Design and Technology and see how it has helped shaped the ever-evolving technological world they live in.

Impact

The impact of the way we teach Design and Technology will be seen across the school with an increase in the profile of Design and Technology. The learning environment across the school will be more consistent with design and technology technical vocabulary displayed, spoken and used by all learners. Whole-school and parental engagement will be improved through the use of design and technology-specific home learning tasks where appropriate. We want to ensure that Design and Technology is loved by teachers and pupils across school, therefore encouraging them to want to continue building on this wealth of skills and understanding, now and in the future.

Progression Maps

Policies