The Early Years are encouraged to develop their creative minds through engaging in a wide range of activities which are embedded into the EYFS framework on a daily basis. Recently I had the pleasure of observing the Nursery children working on some beading and collage work. It was encouraging to see an early development in their fine motor skills associated with cutting, pasting, experimenting with painting techniques and being fully immersed in creative play activities. The children were particularly proud of their mermaid creation and treasure map designs.
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As the students move into KS1 the curriculum becomes a little more structured with dedicated Art and Design Technology lessons timetabled into the weekly routine. Some of the more popular Creative Arts lessons included an outdoor watercolour sessions painting landscape scenes; as well as our D.T day building famous landmark sculptures in our groups. Year 2 took great pride in experimenting with willow pattern techniques and blowing ink to create a willow pattern tree. They proudly shared their Ancient Chinese scrolls with their peers during a follow up evaluation session. Working with mixed media including collage, watercolours, pastels, clay, charcoal and developing sketching techniques are a sample of some of the other activities covered.
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| Working as part of team to create the ‘Great Wall of China’ & enjoying watercolour scenery painting. | |
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Year 2 worked with a visiting Artist from Exmouth Ceramics to create their own willow pattern plate designs. Pupils in the Lower school usually complete art and design technology work linked to the topic they are studying for the term. This gives them the opportunity to make cross curricular links and they can see how the artists they study gain inspiration. They begin to study artist’s in greater depth and build up a greater understanding of different skills in their sketchbooks.
Examples of Year 4 artwork from their India topic inspired by the artist Chennu Pillau who was in turn inspired by the cubist painters Picasso and George Braque. In Design Technology pupils learnt different methods of decorating fabric like tie-dye and batik. They used the tie-dye fabric they made to create a cover for a padded notebook and designed and made beautiful batiks based on traditional Rangoli patterns.
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In the Upper School pupils have much greater autonomy with their finished pieces of artwork. Whilst they are all working to the same theme as they progress to Year 8 they are able to develop their own style and can create their finished compositions in a more individual way to suit their developing styles.
For example: Year 6 Aboriginal inspired work showing the dreamtime story of creation & in Design Technology their brief was to design and make a mask from mod roc which could be worn at a celebration of different
world cultures.
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In Art, Years 7 & 8 studied the Renaissance period which linked in with the Michaelmas Culture tour to Rome. Year 8 learnt how to figure draw and later developed their own compositions to the theme ‘People Waiting’. Year 7 learnt how to paint portraits in a traditional style.
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In Design Technology lessons pupils follow a specific design brief and carry out a variety of design and making projects which get progressively harder as they learn to use the full range of tools and equipment. Designing for a specific customer is key to each project and pupils follow the design and making process to work through each project.
Year 5 Design brief:
To design and make a hand puppet which will be used in a short play which you will write and perform to an audience. In a group you will also make the puppet theatre.
Year 7 Design brief:
To design and make a working automata. The automata must have rotary input and reciprocating output.
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Year 8 Design brief:
To design and make a working clock. The clock must be suitable for a specific customer who you will identify by means of creating an image board to help you generate design ideas.
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L.Ball
