ART AND DESIGN TECHNOLOGY (ADT)

Berkeley Academy Art and Design Curriculum

The National Curriculum for Art and Design aims to ensure that all pupils:

  • Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
  • Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques,
  • Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design,
  • Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

At Berkeley Academy, we believe that individual creativity, expression and self-reflection are fundamental to the development of every child. Art and Design enables all children to express what they feel, think and see through the use of colour, form, pattern, texture and by using different materials and processes. Whilst experimenting with their own ideas, the children will also learn about and make links with a wide spectrum of different types of art and design in our society. Children will also be introduced to various works of art and artists, including those from different periods and cultures. This will enhance the cultural and social capital among our pupils which is vital to their development throughout school and in later life.

To support this, we believe that building cultural and social capital among our pupils is vital to their development throughout school and in later life. To build rich experiences and enthuse children, pupils in all year groups will have the opportunity to take part in extracurricular activities such as art clubs, competitions, webinars, speakers and trips.

Skills are taught progressively throughout the Key Stages so that by the time children leave Year 6 they are able to use all that they have learnt to create their own masterpieces. These are just some of the skills that they learn:

  • Printing,
  • Collage,
  • Sewing,
  • Mosaics,
  • Clay work.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, the children experiment with different materials and learn how to use tools safely and effectively. They use the skills that they have learnt to express their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through art. Our children in Year 1 spend time learning basic art skills whilst the children in Year 2 are designing a Batik. In Year 4 children will design and make masks while Year 6 children will learn about graffiti art. At Berkeley Academy, we offer a range of different opportunities to reveal children’s interests and foster a love and appreciation of Art and Design both in and outside of school life.

Pupils at Berkeley Academy are assessed against the National Curriculum aims for Art and Design. Teachers make informed judgements about a child’s learning by using both formative and summative assessment types throughout the school year. Using assessment data, teachers identify gaps in children’s learning and address this to ensure that all children make outstanding progress.

 

Berkeley Academy Design and Technology (DT) Curriculum

The National Curriculum for Design and Technology aims to ensure that all pupils:

  • Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world,
  • Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users,
  • Critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others,
  • Understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

 

Design and Technology is a challenging, engaging and practical subject that provides children with a real life context for learning. It allows children to apply the knowledge and skills they have learnt in other areas of the curriculum such as Science, Mathematics, History, Art and Computing. The Design and Technology curriculum at Berkeley Academy encourages pupils to become imaginative, creative and independent learners when solving problems both as groups and individually. Skills are taught progressively to ensure that each pupil is prepared to learn and practise for the next stage of learning as they move throughout the school. Through evaluating their own design work and the work of other designers, both past and present, pupils will develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. 

 

To build experiences and enthuse children, pupils in all year groups will have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities such as competitions, webinars, external speakers’ presentations and trips. We believe that building cultural and social capital among our pupils is vital to their development throughout school and in later life.

 

Each class will undertake at least three Design and Technology units per year. One of these will be a Food project and the others are selected from:

  • Textiles,
  • Structures,
  • Mechanisms,
  • Electrical or Mechanical Systems.

 

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children develop their moving and handling skills which enable them to handle equipment and tools effectively. They explore using different materials and develop their problem solving skills through Design and Technology. Our Year 1 pupils design a moving story book, while Year 2 make a variety of healthy wraps. Pupils in Year 3 explore static electricity and in Year 5 design and make their own ‘Viking fashion’ items. Pupils have the opportunity to communicate their ideas and design their products using skills they have learned in Computing lessons, for example, in Year 2 pupils use Scratch Jr to design a playground and in Year 5 pupils build an app alerting users about food allergens. Through exploring the different aspects of Design and Technology, pupils at Berkeley Academy will be well prepared for the next stage of learning and equipped with valuable skills for life.

 

Pupils are assessed against the National Curriculum aims for Design and Technology. Using both formative and summative assessment types, teachers make informed judgements about a child’s learning in Design and Technology throughout the year. Using assessment data, teachers identify gaps in children’s learning and address this to ensure that all children make outstanding progress.

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