‘The Creatives’ – Art, Music & Design Technology
Art Intent Statement
Art has a very important place in the curriculum at Boston Pioneers Academy. Our world is an increasingly visually orientated one, and our art lessons aim to provide our pupils with both a way to explore the world around them and a means by which they can express their ideas and process their thoughts. It is an important form of cultural identity and therefore, has significance and meaning for all pupils.
Our art curriculum is designed to provide pupils with a range hands-on experiences, which are divided into skill areas: drawing, painting, collage, textiles, 3D design, printmaking, and digital media. Throughout their primary school art journey, our pupils will be presented with opportunities to use relevant materials, processes, techniques, and vocabulary to explore and discover first-hand the potential of different media and methods. Furthermore, the will subtly developed increased control of a range of art tools and materials.
Through our teaching of art, we aim to seek a balance between pupils using art as a form of personal imaginative expression and discovering the more formal elements of art. In KS1, pupils are first introduced to the latter, i.e. the use of line, shape, tone, texture and colour, which are then revisited and further built upon throughout the remainder of their primary art journey and beyond.
As they learn, pupils will be exposed to a range of key artworks produced by a culturally and ethnically diverse range of artists, in a variety of styles. This in turn will allow our pupils to understand that art is made by all sorts of people, in a variety of ways and for them to feel represented by the art and artists they are exposed to.
Music Intent Statement
At Boston Pioneers academy we believe that inside each pupil is an innate sense of creativity that must not be allowed to lie dormant. We seek to foster a lifelong love of music in our learners by exposing them to diverse musical experiences that in turn, will ignite within them a passion for music.
Oracy, Vocabulary, Reading and Literacy (learning the words to learn)
Through activities such as whole-school singing, ensemble playing, composing, listening, and performing, we aim to make music an inspiring and enjoyable experience regardless of child’s academic ability. Although, our school community is diverse, we see music as a ‘language in common’, and one which strengthens the shared bonds of support and trust which makes a great school.
Experiential learning - I see and I wonder, I hear and I remember, I do and I understand
Our teaching focuses on developing our learner’s ability to understand rhythm and follow a beat through to performing a range of musical instruments. By singing songs children will learn about the structure an organisation of music. We teach them to listen and to appreciate different forms of music from across different time periods, traditions, and cultures.
Raising aspirations- The world beyond Boston
Like other art forms, music is an important form of cultural identity and therefore, has significance and meaning for all our children. Essentially, this is an area of the curriculum in which language creates no barriers. Music is widely recognised as a motivating subject that will empower our learners.
At Boston Pioneers Academy we follow the model music curriculum for Key Stages 1 & 2 (2021).
The core concepts we seek to develop in our pupils through our Music teaching are:
- Singing: To improve pupils’ internalisation of music through high-quality singing, careful listening, and a well-developed sense of pitch.
- Incorporate technology: To use technology to promote creativity and widen inclusion.
- Playing music: To know how to read music, interpret performance directions (dynamics, tempo, and style) and to perform to an audience both individually and as part of an ensemble.
- Composing music: To know how to respond to a stimulus to create music, improvise around a given scale or chord sequence and arrange music.
- Listening and Analysing Music: To know how music has changed over time, learning about the ‘great composers’ and their works, developing the ability to pick out key elements of music through listening.
Our school uses the Charanga Original Music Scheme and is taught weekly by class teachers. The scheme is structured around units and steps that support lesson planning and delivery across the year. This ensures that all students have access to high quality, engaging and fun music lessons.
Click here to view our Music Long Term Plan.
Design and Technology Intent Statement
Through our Design and Technology curriculum, we aim to inspire our pupils to create a range of structures, mechanisms, electrical systems, textile, and food products with a real-life purpose for our ever-changing world.
Whilst undertaking a variety of cross-curricular projects, pupils are taught to select and use appropriate tools safely and effectively to make a product. They are also encouraged to consider the effectiveness of their designs and provide constructive feedback to others when working as part of a team.
We have invested highly in developing a precise, progressive sequence of knowledge and skills which we feel our children need to be taught in DT. These are developed within each year, and across each key stage, to ensure the children are ‘progression ready’ by the end of primary and have a wealth of knowledge and skills to aid them in their future studies.
“DT is fun, we get to be creative and make things for our projects.” Ana, Y3
“In my last project we made a seasonal tart. I learnt that using too many onions made it taste horrible!” George, Y4
“I enjoy DT because we get to make things and test them to see if they work.” Viviana, Y5
