ART AND DESIGN 

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

‘By following in the footsteps of Jesus,

we are making the heart, mind and spirit soar’

Our actions and words of today are the footprints of our future.

Curriculum End Points- A Creative Economy

Art and Design

“Art is not just a subject you can learn but an activity that you can practise with your hands, your eyes, your whole personality.” Quentin Blake

Art and design is a means of communication that can help children to explore, understand, share and represent their physical and human environment. In art we inspire our children to develop their artistic and creative abilities within the whole curriculum. We ensure that all children experience a vast range of opportunities to develop a breadth of art techniques and skills.  They are also encouraged to plan and to manipulate a range of materials so that they can develop skill and originality.  Children are encouraged to evaluate and appreciate their own work and the work of others in order to develop their appreciation of the arts.

The aims of Art and Design at St Thomas Aquinas are:

  • to promote interest and enjoyment of art
  • to encourage the children to value and appreciate each other’s work
  • to enable all pupils to have access to artistic experiences
  • to develop opportunities for cross curricular learning
  • to develop an understanding of art - visual and tactile
  • to develop aesthetic awareness and to encourage the pupils to make judgements
  • to provide opportunities for different types of learning - class, group, individual
  • to promote the awareness of the work of various artists and craftspeople from different cultures thus promoting cultural awareness
  • to take care of and help maintain equipment and resources

Foundation Stage

Please click here to read the aims of pupils from birth to Reception from the 'Development Matters' document (2020).

 

Key Stage One:

By following the National Curriculum, St Thomas Aquinas aims to ensure that all pupils are taught to:

  • use a range of materials creatively to design and make products.
  • use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination.
  • develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.
  • be taught 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 Two:

By following the National Curriculum, St Thomas Aquinas aims to ensure that all pupils are 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).
  • be taught about great artists, architects and designers in history.

Design and Technology

We believe design and technology helps our children prepare for the ever developing world around us. We encourage the children to become creative, imaginative and problem-solvers, both as an individual and as part of a team. Throughout their lessons our children combine practical skills with an understanding of artistic, visual, social and environmental issues. As they do so, they reflect on and evaluate present and past design and technology, its uses and effects. Through design and technology, all pupils can become discerning and informed users of products, and become innovators.

The aims of Design and Technology at St Thomas Aquinas are:

  • to provide opportunities for children to develop designing and making skills to make quality products.
  • to develop knowledge and understanding of how everyday objects are designed and made.
  • to provide opportunities to investigate, disassemble and/or evaluate products in order to obtain knowledge that can be applied when designing and making.
  • to apply skills and knowledge developed in other curriculum areas, particularly Maths, Science, Art and ICT.
  • to develop safe working practices.
  • to promote positive attitudes, and enthusiasm for, Design and Technology work in school.
  • to fulfill the requirements of the National Curriculum Statutory Orders for Design and Technology and ensure coverage and progression in all aspects of Design and Technology.

Foundation Stage

Please click here to read the aims of pupils from birth to Reception from the 'Development Matters' document (2020)

 

Key Stage One:

By following the National Curriculum, St Thomas Aquinas aims to ensure that all pupils are 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 basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes.- understand where food comes from. 

Key Stage Two:

By following the National Curriculum, St Thomas Aquinas aims to ensure that all pupils 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 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.

Sewing club:

We used  our sewing skills to create a fantastic piece of poppy artwork. We practised our running stitch, applique skills and sewed on buttons.