Art and Design

At St. Patrick's Catholic Primary School we follow an scheme called 'Kapow Learning' 

These scheme allows for our pupils to deepen their knowledge, extend their vocabulary and promote creativity.  The units of work that we follow are well sequenced and provide diversity and inclusive opportunities for all pupils. 

Intent

We value Art and Design as an important element in the broad and balanced curriculum we provide. Through our Art and Design curriculum, we aim to inspire pupils and develop their confidence to experiment and invent their own works of art. We want to build upon a child’s early creative experiences whilst enabling them to express themselves in a practical and inspiring way so that our children have no limits to what their ambitions are and to grow up wanting to be illustrators, graphic designers, fashion designers, curators, architects, printmakers etc. Through learning about a wide range of Art and Crafts from various cultures, we strive to develop the children’s passion and love of the subject and build respect, natural inquisitiveness and an appreciation of art in all its forms, which they may carry with them throughout their lives. We use the ‘Kapow Primary’ art scheme of work to form the basis of our Art and Design curriculum, which is designed to give children every opportunity to develop their ability, nurture their talent and interests, express their ideas and thoughts about the world, as well as learning about the rich heritage and culture of the British Isles and beyond.

Implementation

The ‘Kapow Primary’ Art and Design scheme of work is designed with four strands that run throughout – these are: Making skills Formal elements (line, shape, tone, texture, pattern, colour) Knowledge of artists Evaluating

These strands are revisited in every unit of work. When exploring art and design skills and formal elements of art units, children have the opportunity to learn and practise skills discretely. The knowledge and skills from these units are then applied throughout other units. Key skills are revisited repeatedly with increasing complexity allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning.

Through practical work, we develop children’s knowledge and understanding of key artists and art movements. Creativity and independent outcomes are embedded in our curriculum and support children in learning how to make their own creative choices and decisions, so that their art outcomes, whilst still being knowledgerich, are unique to the child and personal. Lessons are practical in nature and encourage experimental and explanatory learning with children using sketchbooks to document their ideas. All children are challenged in-line with their year group expectations and are given the opportunity to build on their prior knowledge.

Lessons are differentiated to ensure all children can access learning, enjoy and stretch their learning. Knowledge organisers for each unit support children in building a foundation by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.

We showcase our work around school, participate through cross curricular projects and visit our local Art gallery to enhance the learning experience. As a Catholic school, we look at Religious works of our which develops our spiritual understanding.

Impact

The impact of our Art & Design curriculum will be assessed using student and teacher voice. The aim is for children to understand the relevance of what they are learning within Art & Design and to enjoy their art, craft and design experiences within school.  Children will achieve age related expectations in Art & Design and will retain knowledge that is pertinent to art, craft and design.  Children will be keen to participate in wider art, craft and design activities.  Children will develop an appreciation and understanding of art, craft and design, which they can carry with them throughout their lives.

Design and Technology

The Design Technology National Curriculum outlines the three main stages of the design process: design, make and evaluate. Each stage of the design process is underpinned by technological knowledge which encompasses the contextual, historical and technical understanding required for each strand. 

Our Design and Technology curriculum has developed to enhance pupils’ understanding of the key areas in this subject: 

Design

Make

Evaluate

Technical knowledge

Cooking and Nutrition

Intent

At St Patrick’s Primary School, the intent of our Design and Technology curriculum is to nurture creative thinking, problem-solving skills, and hands-on exploration. We aim to empower our students to become proficient designers and makers, equipped with the knowledge and skills to tackle real-world challenges. By engaging in Design and Technology, our students will develop a deep understanding of design processes, materials, and technologies, enabling them to innovate and contribute to society which is involving all the time. The Design and technology National curriculum outlines the three main stages of the design process: design, make and evaluate. Each stage of the design process is underpinned by technical knowledge which embodies the contextual, historical, and technical understanding required for each strand. Cooking and nutrition has a separate section, with a focus on specific principles, skills and techniques in food, including where food comes from, diet and seasonality. Our curriculum is designed to enable children to become resilient, resourceful, innovative and enterprising citizens with a love of Design and Technology and its potential to equip them for future life skills and potential career paths.

Implementation

Design and Technology (D&T) is taught as a subject once a term and is taught weekly or as a block, depending on the unit taught. Each unit of work is taken from the online resource Kapow which has been chosen for its engaging, knowledge-rich, carefully sequenced curriculum. In addition, the guidance videos and regular webinars support staff to develop their skills and subject knowledge. Within the EYFS D&T is embedded into continuous provision and children have access daily. Through the implementation of learning in D&T in accordance with the National Curriculum’s expectations, we aim to ensure that all pupils develop the following skills: •Design •Make •Evaluate •Technical Knowledge Across the key strands of: • Structures, mechanisms, textiles and cooking and nutrition (KS1) • Structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems, digital world and cooking and nutrition (KS2) Our pupils are encouraged to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering the user, purpose of products and the user’s wants and values to develop a design criterion. Through a variety of creative and practical activities, we teach the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to design, make and evaluate. Key skills are repeated with increasing complexity, in a spiral curriculum model. This allows pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required.

Impact

After the implementation of Kapow Primary’s DT scheme, pupils should leave primary school equipped with a range of techniques and the confidence and creativity to form a solid foundation for further learning at Key Stage 3 and beyond. The expected impact is that children will:

Understand purpose in design and making.

Develop imaginative thinking.

Talk about the mechanics of objects/products and model their ideas. 

Develop problem-solving skills. Develop, refine, and apply skills.

Be able think critically about their own and others work.

Know the importance of a healthy eating, diet and recipes and have a well-rounded understanding of nutrition, culinary practices and use of cooking equipment