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Denbury Primary

Denbury
Primary School

The Arts

Art & Design

At Denbury Primary School, we value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. Art and Design provides the children with opportunities to develop creativity, learn and extend skills and to express their individual interests, thoughts and ideas.

 Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of Art and Design. They should also know how Art and Design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Aims

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

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

Implementation

In the Early Years, teaching topics are formulated based on the children’s interests. These topics are designed to give opportunities for children to experience and develop interest in Art and Design.

In years 1 to 6, Art and Design forms part of our ‘creative’ topic approach. Creative topics usually last half a term and rotate between, 2D Art, 3D Art, Design and Technology and Food. Lessons are based upon ‘creative parameters’ which set out stimuli and agreed parameters for outcomes.

Knowledge

In line with the National Curriculum, children are taught:

  • 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 · about great artists, architects and designers in history.

Skills

With close observance of the demands of the National Curriculum, there are 4 key skills that have been identified, which run through the teaching and learning of Art and Design in all year groups. These skills form the basis of what it means to be a great artist at Denbury. These skills can be summarised as: Drawing, Painting, Printing and 3D Ceramics/Sculpture.

SEND

All children access Art at Denbury and children with SEND are supported where required by additional adults to achieve the best possible learning experience and outcomes.  The lesson approach, teaching style and resources are differentiated appropriately. 

Impact

Teachers use the ‘Progression of Skills’ document to monitor and track children’s progression in their learning journey through each of the four areas: Drawing, Painting, Printing and 3D Ceramics / Sculpture, alongside opportunities to apply their skills and knowledge across the curriculum. If children are achieving the ‘Progression of Skills’ statements by the end of each learning stage (Foundation Stage, KS1, LKS2 and UKS2), they are deemed to be making age related or better progress. Caring judgements referencing the Progression of Skills document will be shared with the next class teacher and subject lead at the end of the year.

Every year, in the Summer Term, we have an Art’s Week with a focus on 3D Art.  The children gain so much enjoyment, inspiration and confidence through this.  Some photographs on this page show when the visiting Artist worked with children across the school to make a 3D tree which stands proudly in our playground. These projects encourage a love of Art and help the children to develop lifelong skills as Artists which can be used across the curriculum and into adulthood.

In addition, we measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

  • Pupil discussions and questioning about their learning; which includes discussion of their preferences, ideas, choices and evaluations of work.
  • Sketch books are used from Year 1 to Year 6 to illustrate the journey taken in each Art topic. Pupil conferencing is undertaken about the work they have produced in their sketch books.
  • Further examples of cross curricular Art work are posted on See-Saw in ‘Art’ folders to celebrate work completed and show progression where possible. 
  • Retrieval practice to recall Art vocabulary and knowledge and skills previously learnt in order to build on prior learning (in line with the whole school assessment policy).
  • Pupil enjoyment, engagement and confidence.
  • Art celebrations – Artists are invited into school and parents are invited to exhibitions and open events to see Art displays.
  • A reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes.

 

Design & Technology

At Denbury Primary School we aim to provide all children with a broad and balanced curriculum which prepares them for life beyond primary education. We encourage children to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. De-sign and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. It can be found in many of the objects children use each day and is a part of children’s immediate experiences. Design and Technology encourages children to learn to think and intervene creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team. At Denbury Primary School the Design and Technology curriculum combines skills, knowledge, concepts and values to enable children to tackle real problems. It can improve analysis, problem solving, practical capability and evaluation skills. We aim to, wherever possible, link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, computing and art. The children are encouraged to become innovators and risk-takers. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation. All children learn what it means to be a great designer.
Implementation
At the heart of Denbury’s DT curriculum is the designing and making process from the programmes of study. We ensure that children design, make and evaluate products using a broad range of materials and components. These include construction materials, textiles, food, mechanical components and in Key Stage 2 only, electrical components. At Denbury our curriculum is based on the six essentials of good practise in D&T which will be in place in teachers’ planning to ensure children’s learning is genuinely design and technological in nature.
•User-children will have a clear idea of who they are designing and making products for, considering their needs, wants, interests or preferences.
•Purpose-children will know what the products they design and make are for. Each product will perform a clearly de-fined task that is evaluated in use.
•Functionality-children will design and make products that function successfully in some way, combining aesthetic qualities with functional characteristics.
•Design Decisions-when designing and making, children will be given opportunities to make informed decisions such as selecting materials, components and techniques and deciding what form the products will take, how they will work, what task they will perform and who they are for.
•Innovation-when designing and making, children will be given projects that encourage innovation by being given en-gaging, open-ended starting points for their learning which lead to a range of design ideas and products being developed.
•Authenticity-children will design and make products that are believable, real and meaningful to themselves.
At Denbury Primary we use the DT Association’s Projects on a Page to realise our aim to provide excellent teaching and learning within DT. These projects are underpinned by a clear progression of skills in both the generic skills of designing and making and within specific areas such as cooking. Each unit is supported by a Knowledge Organiser which outlines all of the relevant key information and vocabulary that children need to know by the end of the unit. They also outline previous and future learning to help teachers set the new learning within context and establish starting points for learning. DT has been carefully mapped out across the school to ensure broad and balanced coverage. In years 1 to 6, design and technology forms part of our ‘creative’ topic approach. Creative topics usually last half a term and rotate between 2D art, 3D art, design and technology and food. Children may receive weekly lessons or else the unit may be ‘blocked‘.

In the Early Years, teaching topics are formulated based on the children’s interests. These topics are designed to give opportunities for children to experience and develop interest in design and technology. In EYFS, DT is taught through the EYFS frame-work through focused modelling, group work, exploration in play and daily provision activities. Key Stage One will build on and further develop these skills.
At Key stage 1 children will undertake a unit on Mechanisms, Structures, Food and Textiles. Whilst Key Stage 2 children will build upon these areas and in addition, will explore Mechanical and Electrical Systems. These units will be delivered across a two year rolling programme in Key Stage 1, Lower Key Stage 2 and Upper Key Stage 2. We seek opportunities to provide clear and appropriate cross curricular links to underpin learning in multi areas across the curriculum giving the children opportunities to learn life skills and apply skills to ‘hands on’ situations in a purposeful and meaningful context.
Each DT project includes three types of activity:
•Investigative and Evaluative Activities (IEAs) where children learn from a range of existing products and find out about D&T vin the wider world.
•Focused Tasks (FTs) where they are taught specific technical knowledge, designing skills and making skills;
•Design, Make and Evaluate Assignment (DMEA) where children create functional products with users and purposes in mind.
At Denbury Primary School, there are a number of enhancements to the curriculum. Children at Denbury have the opportunity to showcase their designing skills and share their products with peers and family members. We also encourage a means to display and celebrate the pupils’ design and technology work in their class/across the school. At Denbury we arrange trips and visiting experts who will enhance the learning experience of our children wherever possible.
Impact
Our Design and Technology Curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression through-out the Key Stages from EYFS to Upper KS2, giving pupils the skills, knowledge and vocabulary that they need to move forward in their learning, alongside opportunities to apply their knowledge to different situations. Teachers use the ‘Progression of Skills’ document to monitor and track children’s progression in their learning journey through each of the 5 areas: Design, Make, Evaluate, Technical Knowledge and Cooking & Nutrition . As designers children will develop skills and attributes they can use beyond school and into adulthood. If children are keeping up with the curriculum and are achieving the ‘Progression of Skills’ statements by the end of each Key Stage (Foundation Stage, KS1, LKS2 and UKS2), they are deemed to be making age related or better progress. In addition, we measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:
•Formative assessment in DT will be inline with the whole school assessment policy which references how we use retrieval practise within and between units of work.
•Pupil discussions and questioning about their learning; which includes discussion of their thoughts, ideas, processing and evaluations of work.
•A reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes.
•Children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in design and technology that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum.
•The large majority of children will achieve age related expectations in Design Technology at the end of Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1, Lower Key Stage 2 and Upper Key Stage 2, judgements for which will be assessed against the ‘Progression of Skills’ document. This information will then be shared with the next class teacher and subject lead.
•Examples of work, including photographs will be kept in DT folders and posted on See-Saw to demonstrate work completed and progression whenever possible.
SEND
Children with special educational needs will be encouraged in all aspects of Design Technology appropriate to their ability. Teachers will plan tasks to match their ability and additional support may be given by a support teacher to enable pupils to progress and demonstrate achievement. In order to give pupils of all abilities access to design and technology at an appropriate level, teachers will need to ensure a differentiated approach. This can be achieved by a combination of differentiated task, outcome, teacher intervention or adapted resources. The practical layout of the room and seating can be adjusted to meet the needs of individuals if required. If learners have a physical disability, an appropriate space to work will be provided. A broader resource base can be supplied to support children who struggle with fine motor skills such as using frames or adhesives (e.g. masking tape) that hold down learners’ work to surfaces, providing learners with larger scale materials to work on—gradually decreasing the scale as they acquire greater control, using wider-handled or easy grip scissors . Learners with more sensory needs have access to adapted visual or auditory aids.

 

 

DT Pizza Making

 

Music

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. We provide opportunities for all children to create, play, perform and enjoy music, to develop the skills to appreciate a wide variety of musical forms, and to begin to make judgements about the quality of music.

The aims of music teaching are to enable all children to:

  • perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
  • learn to sing and use their voices
  • have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument
  • to use technology appropriately
  • to create and compose music on their own and with others
  • understand and explore how music is created

 

Teaching and Learning Styles

We aim to make music an enjoyable learning experience and encourage children to participate in a variety of musical activities. We provide opportunities for all children to sing, play instruments, perform and to listen to and appreciate different styles and genres of music. We teach them the skills of recognising and commenting on pulse, pitch, rhythm, timbre, dynamics and texture in music. We provide opportunities for children to work with others to make music and show how individuals compose and organise music. We also begin to teach them some of the features of musical notation and to develop an understanding of the history of music.

Music Curriculum Planning

At Denbury, we use the Charanga music resource scheme which is used from Year R to Year 6. In addition to this, Music is often taught and used within other areas of the curriculum, and to support and enhance the work done within the topics planned. A wide range of resources are available to support music teaching. We give pupils the opportunity to appreciate a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

We teach music in Reception class as an integral part of the topic work covered during the year. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, music contributes to a child’s development in the area of expressive arts and design.

 Key stage 1

Pupils should be taught to:

  • use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
  • play tuned and untuned instruments musically
  • listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music
  • experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the interrelated dimensions of music

Key stage 2

Pupils should be taught to sing and play musically with increasing confidence and control. They should develop an understanding of musical composition, organising and manipulating ideas within musical structures and reproducing sounds from aural memory.

Pupils should be taught to:

  • play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression
  • improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the interrelated dimensions of music
  • listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory
  • use and understand staff and other musical notations
  • appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians
  • develop an understanding of the history of music

  Teaching music to children with special educational needs (SEN)

 At our school we teach music to all children, whatever their ability. If a child cannot access the Music lesson, we look at a range of factors, including classroom organisation, teaching materials, teaching style, and differentiation, so that we can take some additional or different action to enable the child to learn more effectively. This ensures that our teaching is matched to the child’s needs.

 Assessment and recording

 Teachers assess children’s work in music by making informal judgements as they observe them during lessons. Teachers may collect information using videos, sound recordings, photographs or written observations. (Recorded on Seesaw). Additional evidence may be gained during school performances or other relevant events, and may be presented in the form of recordings or photographs on Seesaw and Class Dojo. A tracking grid will be completed detailing children who are working towards or above ARE at end of Foundation Stage (YR), Key stage 1 (Y2), Lower Key Stage 2 (Y4) and Upper Key Stage 2 (Y6).  The progression of skills document will be used to support judgements and the document will be passed on to the next teacher and subject lead at the end of the Summer Term.

 Resources

 In addition to the electronic resources which are used by teachers and children from the Charanga website, there are a wide range of additional music resources available for the use of all staff in the school. We also make use of the Devon Music Hub instrument loan service so we have access to different class sets of instruments.

 

Overview Music Overview DT Overview

Progression - Design & Technology Progression - Music Progression - Art & Design

DT Vocabulary Mats DT Vocabulary Progression Map