At Sunbeck, we want every young person to develop their creativity, build confidence in their own abilities and experience the satisfaction of designing and making something they can be proud of.

 

Create brings Art and Design Technology (DT) together as one subject, allowing students to explore ideas creatively and apply them through practical work. Students develop artistic techniques alongside the skills needed to design, construct and improve products. By combining the two disciplines, students can explore how ideas move from initial inspiration and design through to a finished outcome.

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Our Create curriculum provides opportunities for students to experiment with materials, explore different techniques and develop their own ideas. Through drawing, painting, design, modelling, construction and making, students learn to communicate ideas visually, understand materials and solve practical problems.

 

The curriculum draws on a range of creative themes and projects, including Still Life, Mythical Creatures, Street Art, Wire and Foil Figures, Cities, Landscapes and Seascapes, Alter Ego Self-Portraits, and Clay Monsters and Gargoyles. These themes provide opportunities to develop artistic skills while also creating links to design, construction, product development and practical problem-solving.

 

Students learn that creativity is not limited to producing artwork. It also involves planning, experimenting, making decisions, overcoming challenges and improving something until it works as intended.

 

A curriculum designed around our students

Sunbeck is different from a mainstream school. Students join us at different points in the year, with different experiences of education, different levels of confidence and different starting points in their learning. Some students may be with us for a short period before returning to mainstream education, while others may remain with us for much longer.

 

For that reason, our Create curriculum follows a 13-week rolling curriculum spine.

 

This means that students can join Sunbeck at different points in the year without missing out on important areas of creative learning. Across each cycle, they encounter a range of artistic approaches, materials, design challenges and practical techniques rather than having to wait until the following academic year to access particular projects.

 

The curriculum is designed to provide breadth and entitlement, while our approach to mastery provides depth and progression.

 

Each project offers a different creative challenge. Students might begin by observing and drawing everyday objects, develop imaginative designs for mythical creatures, explore the visual language of street art or investigate how shape, form and structure can be used to create three-dimensional outcomes.

As the curriculum develops, students have opportunities to apply their artistic understanding to practical design and making. Ideas explored through drawing, colour, shape and pattern can inform the design of a product, while practical work introduces students to the properties of materials, construction methods, tools and finishing techniques.

 

By bringing Art and DT together, students can see the connections between designing something, making it and evaluating the final result. This provides a broader experience of creative learning and helps them build skills that can be applied across different projects.

 

Progress, not repetition

A rolling curriculum does not mean that students simply repeat the same activities each time.

When students revisit familiar skills, the level of challenge increases. Teachers use previous learning, ongoing assessment and the Sunbeck Create progress tracker to identify what each student can already do and what they need to develop next.

 

For example, a student may initially explore line, shape and proportion when drawing a still life. In a later project, they may apply their understanding of shape and form to develop a product design, considering how different materials could be used to create it. As their confidence increases, they may independently select techniques, refine their design and explain the decisions they have made.

 

Similarly, students working with wire, foil, clay or other materials develop their understanding of structure, form, texture and construction. They move from supported experimentation towards making more independent decisions about how to create, strengthen, assemble and finish their work.

 

Students also develop their ability to respond when something does not work as planned. They learn to identify problems, test alternatives and make improvements, recognising that successful creative work often involves several attempts rather than getting everything right first time.

The curriculum cycles, but the student does not reset.

 

Our progress tracker recognises that students develop at different rates. Teachers assess whether students are exploring new skills, developing their understanding, increasing their independence or mastering techniques with confidence. This ensures that progress is measured through what students know, understand and can do, rather than simply by whether they have completed a project.

 

Developing creative and practical skills

Create at Sunbeck is not just about producing a finished piece of artwork or making a product. Students learn the practical skills and creative processes that underpin successful design and making.

 

Throughout the curriculum, students develop their ability to:

• observe objects, people and environments, recording ideas through drawing and sketching

• experiment with colour, line, tone, shape, form, texture and pattern

• explore different materials and understand their properties and possible uses

• develop and communicate ideas through design, planning, modelling and experimentation

• use tools, equipment and techniques safely and appropriately

• construct, assemble and finish products using practical skills

• solve problems and make decisions when working with different materials

• test, review and improve their work in response to feedback

• evaluate their outcomes and explain the decisions they have made

• develop patience, resilience and independence when working through a creative challenge.

 

Practical work is central to the curriculum. Students have regular opportunities to experiment, make, test and improve their outcomes. Activities are carefully selected to be accessible, purposeful and appropriate for our setting, while maintaining high expectations for the quality of students' work.

 

The curriculum also recognises that students have different strengths. Some may initially feel more confident expressing ideas through drawing and visual design, while others may engage more readily through practical construction and making. By combining Art and DT, Create provides different ways for students to access learning, develop their abilities and experience success.

 

Building confidence and independence

Our ultimate aim is not simply for students to complete a project. We want them to develop the confidence to explore ideas, make decisions and take increasing ownership of their learning.

 

For some students, Create provides an opportunity to rebuild confidence in education through practical, hands-on experiences. For others, it offers a way to communicate ideas, explore identity and express themselves through visual and practical work.

 

As students progress, they move from supported activities towards greater independence. They learn to select materials, plan their approach, follow processes, use tools appropriately, solve practical problems and take pride in improving their work.

 

Students are encouraged to understand that mistakes are part of the process. If a design does not work, a material behaves differently than expected or a finished product needs improvement, students learn to consider what has happened and decide what to do next. This develops perseverance, problem-solving and a willingness to try alternative approaches.

 

These skills are transferable beyond the Create classroom. Planning, concentration, organisation, creativity and the ability to evaluate and improve are valuable across the wider curriculum and in future education and employment.

For students preparing to return to mainstream education, these experiences also help develop the independence, confidence and learning behaviours needed to access a broader curriculum successfully.

Preparing students for the future

 

Create helps students recognise that creativity and practical design have a place in everyday life and a wide range of careers. Throughout the curriculum, students encounter skills and approaches linked to illustration, graphic design, product design, architecture, construction, fashion, sculpture and other creative and practical industries.

 

By exploring different materials, techniques and ways of working, students begin to recognise their own strengths and interests. They learn that successful outcomes are developed through practice, experimentation, problem-solving and perseverance, rather than being dependent on natural ability alone.

For students who remain at Sunbeck for longer periods, the curriculum provides opportunities to build on their KS3 experiences and develop the practical knowledge, technical skills and independence needed to progress towards more formal creative qualifications at KS4.

 

Our aim is for every student to leave Sunbeck with a broader range of creative and practical skills, greater confidence in their own abilities and the understanding that they can turn an idea into something purposeful. We want students to take pride in what they create, recognise the progress they have made and feel better prepared for the next stage of their education and future opportunities.