Each half term, every year group will have wither an Art or Design Technology topic.  This is taught weekly.  We do not block our subjects as we want children to return regularly to the subject knowledge and concepts in order that they are regularly retrieving the taught knowledge and concepts, embedding these in their long term memory.  This enables them to make progress - know more and remember more.

Our pupils will form a Art or Design Technology schema* by using concepts as the basis for schema. We call these threshold concepts; these are the big ideas which form the basis for the subject schema. We will continually revisit these concepts throughout the entire curriculum, in every year group, in every art and Design Technology topic. In Art and Design Technology the threshold concepts relate to:

• Exploration of ideas (including artists and designers to influence our work) 
• Creativity
• Using a wide range of media for specific purpose 

We strengthen the schema with knowledge. The knowledge comes from our topics. Within each topic are knowledge categories, the facets of each threshold concept that helps to strengthen the schema. We further deep connections through tasks. This is what is developed through our planning.  

*Schema – A subject schema is a way of organising knowledge in a meaningful way; it is an appreciation of how facts are connected and the ways in which they are connected. A schema is distinct from information, which is just isolated facts that have no organisational basis or links.