The Arts

Art

Art education has been proven to have remarkable impacts on academic, social, and emotional outcomes, helping us develop empathy as we learn more about societies, cultures and history. Engagement with art helps us stretch our minds beyond the boundaries of the printed text or the rules of what is provable to encompass visual spatial learning and develop motor skills.

Year 1 children sketching their leaves

Through the implementation of Dimensions, Art at West Boldon Primary School is taught through thematic units in a cross curricular approach. Through our Art lessons, the children learn to express themselves confidently and creatively. Inclusive learning experiences ensure that SEN children are fully supported to reach their potential.

The opportunities provided will enable the children to create end products that they are proud of, and foster the resilience to hone and refine their skills. Children learn that inspiration can come in any form from the world around them. In art, we learn about the mediums of collage, textiles, photography, drawing, painting, 3D form and sculpture, as well as mixed media.

Design Technology

Design Technology helps us to develop as reflective learners, as we work through the design process. Through design technology, we are able to work collaboratively to solve problems and find solutions, teaching us to deal with uncertainty whilst developing communication, organisational and other practical life skills.In design technology, we learn to appreciate the needs of others, the built environment and the likely impact of future technologies.

Children building their model cars

At West Boldon Primary School, we teach Design and Technology through the Dimensions curriculum through cross curricular thematic units as well as through discrete focused tasks (Design, Make, Evaluate Assignments).

Children making their model cars in a group outside

Our Design and Technology curriculum uses a combination of subject knowledge, skill building and design and make projects. The Design and Technology lessons are inclusive to support the needs of our SEN children. Food technology is also taught through thematic units, and has strong links to STEM principles. Learning takes place both inside and outside the classroom.

Children erupting their volcanoes

Music

Music makes a major contribution to the education of our children here in West Boldon Primary. It helps our pupils develop their understanding, make musical judgements, apply their new learning, develop their aural memory, express themselves physically, emotionally and through discussion and create their own musical ideas.

Furthermore, Music instils in our pupils an ability to use music to help maintain emotional and social well-being and celebrate culture and community in ways which involve entertaining or understanding themselves and making sense of the world around them. Music is a highly creative subject where children develop their own musical ideas.

Creativity in music is encouraged through children’s improvisations and compositions when singing and playing instruments. They make connections between ‘new’ and ‘old’ learning, solve problems, and think critically to develop and improve their ideas.

Primary schools play an important role in fostering pupils’ interest in music, therefore; it is on this foundation that broader opportunities in music, including those delivered by external music teachers, rest. Therefore, high-quality music education, as part of the school curriculum, is so vital. Furthermore, The Early Years Foundation Stage requires that children in reception classes, are provided with opportunities to explore music, using a variety of songs and musical instruments, and to match movements to music.

At West Boldon Primary we will build the children’s knowledge and skills in music to enable them to take part in performances and appreciate different aspects of the music they hear as they get older. We will encourage them to form opinions about their tastes in music, alongside an awareness of different styles and traditions from different times and places. Children will have the opportunity to foster their instrumental flare and use this as a form of expression. Not all the children in our community have not had the opportunity to handle and play different instruments. They also have not had the opportunity to see live performances and show an appreciation for the arts. By learning music at West Boldon, our pupils will have the opportunity to sing and play a range of instruments, as well as learn how to create ensembles that are performed to others. They will develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to begin to compose and listen with discrimination to a range of musical genres and artists.