Art & Design

At Fordbridge, our vision for Art is that our children learn to explore, express and understand the world through creativity and imagination. Through creative, engaging and enquiry-led lessons, they will be encouraged to experiment, reflect, and communicate ideas visually.

To help our children become life-long artists, they will learn about:

• A wide range of artistic styles, movements and cultures, exploring where and how different forms of art have developed.

• The visual elements of art, including colour, line, shape, texture, form, pattern and space.

• How artists, craft makers and designers use materials and techniques to represent people, places and the world around them.

Through practical experiences such as drawing, painting, sculpture and digital media, children develop their technical skills and confidence as artists. Our carefully constructed curriculum, enables children to learn about a diverse range of artists, craft makers and designers from different cultures, backgrounds and time periods. Engaging lessons and creative hub activities then support children in developing their own artistic responses, linking techniques, styles and themes to express their ideas in imaginative and meaningful ways.

This learning is enhanced through a range of high-quality resources and tools, including sketchbooks, a variety of media and materials, digital art tools, reproductions of famous artworks, and virtual gallery experiences. These opportunities enable children to explore different techniques, styles and perspectives, deepening their understanding of composition, colour, form and expression.

Each art day is started with reviewing the previous art days in the current and previous year. To support this, pupils have an artist title page which showcases the artists for that current year (see below). An artist is then introduced and pupils go on an artistic journey, developing a variety of skills before drawing upon what they have learnt to create their final piece.

We have created our own art curriculum which has been supplemented with units from the scheme Kapow and support from Mrs Fitzpatrick. 

Design Technology

The Fordbridge design technology curriculum is designed to equip our pupils with the skills needed to design, make and evaluate projects across a range of materials and construction techniques. We provide a rich and deep learning experience through carefully planned practical opportunities.

Our vision is that pupils leave Fordbridge with a wealth of positive learning experiences; a solid understanding across the broad design and technology curriculum; and the knowledge and aspirations to choose to persue a career in these areas. We strive to develop practical skills, resilience, and innovation, encouraging pupils to design and make products that improve everyday life. Pupils leave with confidence, curiosity, and an understanding of how design shapes the world around them.

In a good lesson, pupils approach their brief with creativity - surrounded by sketches, materials, and prototypes. Children use cutting, joining, and testing skills safely and confidently. During oracy, pupils can explain their design choices and how they’re improving their models. There’s a strong sense of collaboration, curiosity, and ownership — every child is engaged in designing, making, and evaluating with pride and purpose.

DT Pioneers
Our learning begins with a reintroduction to one of our carefully selected 'DT pioneers'. These have been chosen as role models for our pupils, from a range of beginnings in life and with life stories that will appeal to and inspire our pupils to set their own high aspirations in life. These pioneers are chef Michael Caines; engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel; architect Selasi Setufe; industrialist Henry Ford; physicist Archimedes; and fashion designer George Davies. These pioneers show our pupils how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world.

Curriculum

We teach DT through the 'design, make, evaluate' approach. We have created our own curriculum, supplemented by Twinkl units, to ensure a broad coverage of the DT National Curriculum.

Pupils apply their new skills to a range of projects in food, textiles, materials, construction and mechanisms. The content covered by each year group can be found below:

Grand Designs

Some Year 6 children took part in a competition to design their own dream house for Grand Designs Live. The judges chose 10 entries as a top 10 and the children were invited along to the show where they got to meet Grand Designs Presenter Kevin McCloud. Kevin also gave our school a brilliant shout out on the TV show This Morning!