Art
At St Ippolyts, we aim to develop creative, confident and curious artists who enjoy exploring ideas, experimenting with materials and expressing themselves through art. Our Art curriculum uses AccessArt as a key planning and resource platform, supporting a progressive development of artistic skills, knowledge and techniques across the school. Children are given regular opportunities to explore and develop their skills in drawing, painting, sculpture, textiles, printing and other creative processes, learning to use a range of materials and tools with increasing confidence and independence.
Through our Art curriculum, children are encouraged to experiment, take creative risks and learn from the artistic process rather than focusing solely on the finished product. They explore the work and styles of different artists and use these as inspiration to develop their own ideas and creative responses. As they progress through the school, pupils build on previously developed skills and become increasingly able to make purposeful choices about materials, techniques and how they communicate their ideas.
Art is further enriched through our annual Arts Week, a whole-school theme week which gives children the opportunity to immerse themselves in creativity and explore different media, artistic styles and approaches. The theme changes each year, providing fresh experiences and opportunities for children to work beyond their usual classroom art curriculum. Through our Art curriculum and wider creative opportunities, we want children to develop their imagination, creativity and confidence, take pride in their work and appreciate art as a means of expression, communication and enjoyment.
Design Technology
At St Ippolyts, we aim to develop creative, innovative and reflective designers who are confident in generating ideas, solving problems and creating purposeful products. Our Design and Technology curriculum has been carefully adapted and sequenced to reflect our school, our mixed-age and single-age classes, and the needs of our pupils, while ensuring full coverage of the National Curriculum. Through meaningful design contexts, children learn to design, make and evaluate products for specific users and purposes, developing an understanding of how design can solve real-world problems.
Across the curriculum, pupils develop and revisit the key strands of Design, Make, Evaluate and Technical Knowledge, building their skills, knowledge and technical vocabulary progressively over time. They develop practical skills through structures, mechanisms, textiles, cooking and nutrition, electrical systems and the digital world. Children learn to select and use appropriate materials, tools and techniques, from simple joining, cutting and food preparation to more complex construction, mechanisms, sewing, electrical systems and computer-aided design. As they progress through the school, pupils develop increasing independence, accuracy and complexity, learning to test, refine and evaluate their designs and consider how successfully they meet the needs of their intended user.
Through our Design and Technology curriculum, we want children to become resourceful and resilient problem-solvers who can think creatively, work practically and apply their knowledge to design innovative and purposeful solutions. We encourage pupils to learn from mistakes, adapt their ideas and take pride in creating products that have a clear purpose and function.
