Year 3H have been so incredibly engaged over their Arts Fortnight, diving into the world of Victorian architecture with a real sense of curiosity and purpose. We chose to focus not only on the visual features of the Victorian era but also on its spirit of invention, linking this to our local context here in Leeds and the technical side of creating. This led us into architectural technical drawing and product design, where we also developed an appreciation for Victorian typography and layout, combining creativity with precision in a truly engaging way. To add to this, Mrs Fox choreographed a fantastic dance, piecing together three Daft Punk songs with a focus on ‘factories’ and the Industrial Revolution.
To begin, the children explored the key features that define a Victorian building, asking themselves: what makes it Victorian and how can we tell? They carefully sketched individual features in their sketchbooks, building up a bank of visual references. We then took our learning beyond the classroom, using Google Maps Street View to go on a Victorian architecture “treasure hunt” around Leeds City Centre. The children loved spotting details on real buildings and debating whether they were original or later recreations in the Victorian style. The level of discussion was fantastic, with children using impressive vocabulary and demonstrating real ACE Historian thinking as they worked collaboratively with their partners.
We were also lucky enough to watch an inspiring video from a parent in our school community who runs her own architecture business. This gave the children a real insight into what it takes to be an architect and where to begin with technical drawing. Back in the classroom, we modelled how to use rulers and technical drawing paper, focusing on symmetry and key mathematical concepts such as parallel, perpendicular, horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines. It was a highly focused and thoughtful afternoon, with children carefully observing, adjusting and refining their work to produce detailed drawings of Leeds Town Hall. The final pieces were truly impressive; many adults couldn’t believe they were created by Year 3 pupils! We also used a closed AI system to demonstrate how designs can be developed further using technology, bringing their ideas to life in new ways.
From architecture, we moved into product design and typography. In the café, the children worked with Mrs Elliott to bake either healthy blueberry or chocolate chip muffins, which became the perfect springboard for launching their own bakery businesses. They began by creating a business name and product name, before exploring existing bakeries and discussing what makes branding effective. As a first step into design, the children experimented with letterpress blocks, considering layout techniques such as arcs and parallel lines to present their business names in visually appealing ways.
We then explored a range of Victorian and modern typography styles, kindly provided by our Leeds Beckett art department partners – thank you again! This stage was all about perseverance, reflection and improvement. The children carefully considered lettering style, size, layout and colour choices, receiving lots of individual feedback and using it to refine their work. It was wonderful to see how confidently they could articulate their design choices and next steps. Once they were happy, they used acrylic pens to create their final designs on Kraft boxes. The finished products were fantastic; they were complete with logos, nutritional information and a persuasive slogan ready to be displayed in the café for our Arts Celebration. Parents were incredibly proud and the children were thrilled to see (and taste!) their finished products. ACE Bakery was well and truly open for business!
