Art and DT

At Queen Elizabeth’s Primary School we try to offer as many cross curricular subjects as possible and Art and DT are two lessons which lend themselves nicely to this as well as to stand alone topics too. During the pupil’s time in EYFS and the beginning half term of Year 1 both Art an DT are accessed through Continuous Provision daily. Activities are set out to enhance pupil’s knowledge at an independent level to allow them to begin to show their own creativity. After this, Art and DT become more structured lessons. Art and DT are taught on a half termly basis in Years 1-6 during our Art and DT weeks.

Our Art units of work are usually either based around an artist or a theme. During the Art Weeks, pupils are expected to research, plan and create their own independent pieces of artwork with adult guidance. Throughout these weeks pupils will be given a chance to sketch, paint, sculpt, print and use a variety of other mediums to add texture and colour to their work. The emphasis on these session is to understand the process of creating the art by understanding the skills required to make a final piece. After each piece, pupils are encouraged to evaluate their own work and suggest changes they would make next time to build upon.

During our DT weeks, pupils are given a specific focus such as textiles, food technology or woodwork/mechanisms and structures. During these weeks pupils will research, experiment, design and create their own piece, which again they are encouraged to evaluate and suggest changes they would make next time. These DT projects sometimes reflect a topic the pupils are studying and other times are standalone projects. Incorporated within some of these projects is the use of electronics and computer coding. Children are given opportunities to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of a wide range of materials and equipment through practical activities in a safe and controlled environment.