Design and Technology Learning Journey
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Our intent
A high-quality art and design education provides an opportunity to engage, inspire and challenge children, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. We want all our children to be able to think critically and develop an increasingly confident understanding of art and design Our children should know how art and design reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
The implementation
We follow the National Curriculum for art and design and all classes have timetabled art & design lessons. We have an approach that enables children to collect works of art in their sketch books so they can build up a collection of work over time. Children will draw, sculpt and paint, sharing their ideas, experience and imagination. They will have the opportunity to develop a wide range of art and design techniques. Children will learn about the works of a range of artists, craft makers and designers. They will develop their skills, including their control and use of materials. They will achieve this through experimentation alongside developing an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design. Much of their work will link in with other subjects, specifically history, where they will learn about great artists, architects and designers.
The teaching of art and design will be enriched with visits to places of architectural interest and local and national art galleries. Children’s art and design work will be prominently displayed in the school. Many lessons will take place in our dedicated STEAM engine, which is a fantastic resource for science, technology, science art & maths. They will also learn how to use technology (programs) to support their art and design ideas.
Impact
We believe that every child should have an opportunity to express their creativity and be given the chance to develop their knowledge and grow their talents. We aim for the children to be ready to engage in more sophisticated art and design work at secondary school. Teachers use assessment for learning strategies as well as engaging in conferencing activities. At the end of each unit of work children from year 1 to year 6 are assessed for their progress and understanding in art & design lessons, by the teacher, and this is tracked over time.
Design and Technology at Devonshire Hill
At Devonshire Hill, we passionately believe that all children should have regular opportunities to a wide range of educational experiences and that Design and Technology provides an important pathway to an inherently physical, practical learning experience rich in creative problem-solving.
Design and Technology is practiced both as a focused subject with specific tasks and also as a vital part of a broader creative STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) process where disciplines combine steeped in logic and creativity and deep learning really happens!
We all learn from mistakes
Failures and successes are celebrated equally as vital aspects of the engineering design process, moving continuously through a cycle of progress and improvement from a task, to ideas, getting stuck in and trying things out, evaluation and identifying improvements and round again. Through this process, exploration and varied modes of learning children learn how to become innovative, enterprising, resourceful and confident.
Promoting creativity, independence, and collaboration
In addition, to set tasks linked to the curriculum, we use Design and Technology and our wide-ranging STEAM provision to teach vital making skills in combination with incredibly open briefs, encouraging imaginative, independent design and make projects that are led by the children’s own aspirations and inspirational peer-learning.
We work with other schools to share good practice and increase collaboration. We have taken part in shared group STEAM activities and challenges with other local schools and have achieved great success in borough-wide STEAM competitions with our inspirational and engaged young engineers.
