Art & Design

Art 

We aim to nurture our young artists in the Primary School to be passionate and committed about Art and Design and the creative process. Whether we turn out the next Picasso or Hockney, Kahlo or Cliff, Art lessons provide our children with the opportunity to express themselves, take risks in a safe, supportive environment and create final pieces of work of which they can be proud. Art lessons are linked to the thematic curriculum topics which they are studying, giving them greater purpose and meaning.

Our children in Primary School are taught how to communicate fluently in visual and tactile form. To do so, they need to learn how to select and use materials, processes and techniques skillfully and inventively. The children learn how to draw confidently and adventurously from observation, memory and imagination. They explore and invent marks, develop and deconstruct ideas and communicate perceptively and powerfully through purposeful drawing in 2D, 3D or digital media.

Through Art and Design, our children gain an impressive knowledge and understanding of other artists, craftmakers and designers. They learn to think and act like creative young people by using their knowledge and understanding to inform, inspire and interpret ideas, observations and feelings. We aim for our children to gain the ability to use visual language skilfully and convincingly (for example, line, shape, pattern, colour, texture, form) to express emotions, interpret observations, convey insights and accentuate their individuality. We promote the children’s independence, initiative and originality which they can use to develop their creativity. As the children grow up and move through the Primary School, they are increasingly able to reflect on, analyse and critically evaluate their own work and that of others.

Design and Technology

Design and Technology in the Primary School is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject which is also linked to the thematic curriculum and where children are encouraged to make artifacts that solve real and relevant problems, taking into account their own and others’ needs, wants and values. Design and Technology is delivered through three distinct areas: resistant materials, textiles and food technology, running through all the strands is the Design Process which incorporates mathematics, science, computing and graphics.

We nurture our young designers and engineers of the future to develop high levels of originality and be willing and able to take creative risks to produce innovative ideas and prototypes. The children absolutely love Design and Technology! They truly gain such a strong passion for the subject, as well as a well-developed knowledge of up-to-date technological innovations in materials, products and systems. The children learn how to use time efficiently and work constructively and productively with others. They carry out thorough research, show initiative and ask questions to develop a very detailed knowledge of users’ needs. In order to do this, our students gain a robust knowledge of which tools, equipment and materials to use to make their products and an ability to apply mathematical and other knowledge, where appropriate. As our children mature, they learn how to use increasingly specialised ‘tools of the trade’ in Design and Technology, from cooking equipment to sewing machines and woodwork apparatus, understanding how to manage risks exceptionally well, in order to manufacture products safely and hygienically. As global citizens, we help our young designers and makers, to work ethically, using finite materials carefully.