Art and DT

Art Subject Leader - Miss Emma Holland 

DTSubject Leader - Mrs Hannah Paradise

Link Governor - Miss Maria Bowey

When is art and DT being taught in each year group?

Art in Year 1 and 2

Art in Year 3 and 4

Art in Year 5 and 6

Curriculum Intent

Art and DT is not only valued as an imaginative and creative subject but is one of the key ways in which we provide children with stimulating experiences that enable them to understand and respond to the world. The opportunities given to the children will provide them with the means to confidently explore art and develop a critical appreciation of arts, crafts and design into adulthood. In developing this broad understanding and appreciation of the possibilities that the creative arts hold, children are able to think independently about their creations and make confident and informed decisions around media, materials and skills. We regard art to enrich pupils’ wellbeing, work and attitudes, offering multiple benefits across the whole curriculum and beyond.

We offer a broad introduction to a wide variety of core skills, enabling children to identify as artists from a young age. Children are taught to understand and value the importance of process art and given the opportunity to explore texture, colour, line, shape, form and space in an independent context. By reworking original ideas children realise the full potential of their creative ability. Throughout their time at St Johns the children will be exposed to a range of work by contemporary and traditional artists in order to develop their knowledge.

By the time children leave St Johns in year 6, they will be able to apply different art and design techniques confidently, allowing them to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination. We offer opportunities for children to explore a range of art styles and genres in 2D and 3D.

 The children will have explored a variety of media and developed a range of skills. Children will:

• 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.
• know 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.
• have ideas about and express opinions on a range of artists’ work.
• explore colour mixing, texture and mixing different media.
• begin to adapt work where necessary.

Curriculum Overviews

DT Year 1 & 2

DT Year 3 & 4

DT Year 5 & 6

Curriculum Implementation

The children will cover Art and DT throughout the year, with lessons sometimes as stand alone lessons or sometimes linked to other areas of the curriculum such as History, RE and Geography. In the stand alone Art and DT lessons the children will learn about famous artists and also learn new skills such as printing or sculpture. In EYFS we have a creative area where the children have access to paint, pens, pencils, pastels and other mark making tools. They also always have access to a variety of different materials to encourage collage and junk modelling which extends their knowledge and skills not only of making marks and drawing but also joining and how things are made. In EYFS we also teach new skills such as observational drawing as a focus afternoon with a group of 12 children. 

Key implementation principles are:

• An immersive art experience – a DT and Art focus term in our 2 year rolling cycle
• Cross-curricular opportunities to develop art skills in line with other areas of interest across the curriculum to, wherever possible, encourage children to explore the work of artists, craft makers and designers support them to make links between their work and that of others,
• Children at St Johns School are given opportunities to work in an exploratory way and respond individually when creating art work.

The skills progression documents show how Art and DT skills and knowledge progress over the different year groups. These skills are covered in our knowledge planners (see below) for the 2 year rolling cycle. All of these skills have been built upon from the Art and DT curriculum documents. 

Art whole school skills and knowledge overview

Knowledge Planners

Knowledge planners by age group can be found below. (Ones not uploaded skills and knowledge can be found on document linked above)

DT