Curriculum Overview:
All subjects within Creative Technologies use a range of cross-curricular skills such as: English, mathematics and ICT in order to produce a range of work. School-based projects promote teamwork, resilience and confidence. The development and implementation of more community-based projects, as well as workshops and trips. Provide our students with cultural and historical links, as well as an insight into local and British values. Our subject is integral to student well-being and mental health, both of which are a focus throughout schemes of learning. We want to prepare students for life outside of the school environment and equip them with tools that they can use to practice mindfulness and reduce stress in their everyday lives.
Key Skills and Dispositions:
Problem Solving: Students will develop critical thinking and ingenuity, to help them take responsibility for their thinking and actions, to think critically and deeply before acting. For students to question and ponder why, how come and can it change?
Teamworking: Students will develop an understanding of working in the wider world, as well as navigating the ever-changing labour market in the 21st century. To build these skills, students will need exposure to open discussions and experiences that can help them feel comfortable communicating with others. School trips, debating sessions, visits to a workplace or Q&As with a local employer are all good ways of showing students open mindsets in action. Encouraging students to work together on a creative challenge and allowing them to reflect on the learning they take from the lessons/tasks/activities, this will enable them to develop their understanding of (Democracy). Help them to better understand what it means to be a part of an increasingly collaborative and connected world. By using what they learn repeatedly and in different, personally meaningful ways, students will find it much easier to retain and retrieve what they learn in the classroom. It will also help them better understand the importance of certain skills in their everyday and future lives. Try providing opportunities for students to “transfer” school learning to real-life situations. Students need to know not only how to find accurate information, but also how to critically analyse its reliability and usefulness. Building research-based tasks and projects into your teaching will provide a basis to develop these essential 21st century skills for work.
Key Themes:
- Food
- Portraiture
- Aboriginal
- Sea Animals
- Modern artists
- Natural Forms
- Mexican Day of the Dead
- Food Health and Safety
- Healthy Balance Eating
- Impact of food production on our environment
- Different Job roles within Hospitality and Catering
- Factors that affect food choices
- Exploring Art through Textiles
- Textile design
- Solving problems through Design
- Sustainability
- Nature
- Documentary
- Musical culture
- History of music
Key Stage 3 Overview:
In Key Stage 3 students work through a wide range of Art specialisms such as Photography and Three Dimensional Art, as well as Design Technology disciplines such as Music Technology to Food Technology.
| Creative | Design Technology |
| Art | Three-Dimensional construction |
| Art Textiles | Food Technology |
| Art Photography | Music Technology |
| Applied Art | Drama |
| Music | Product Design |
We can offer all the above subject through rotating the KS3 groups every 8 to 9 weeks. This enables all students to get a good grounding and understanding of each unique subject within the creative Technology curriculum. The added benefit is students can use the many crosses over skills in multiple subject to further embed their understanding capabilities.
In Year 7 we focus on teaching as many new skills as possible that naturally feed from one to the other. In year 8 we reteach and add new skills and knowledge helping our students stretch their capabilities. In year 9 we give student ownership letting them take more control over their learning fostering a more KS4 learning experience.
Key Stage 4 Overview:
In Key Stage 4 students will have selected from the following options which sit in bucket 3 in Progress 8:
| Creative | Design Technology |
| GCSE Unendorsed Art | BTEC Engineering |
| GCSE Art Textiles | Hospitality and Catering |
| GCSE Art Photography | RSL Music Technology |
| GCSE Fine Art | NCFE Business Studies |
| RSL Music | GCSE Product Design |
Students through their Key Stage 3 education will be prepare and able to access the increased academic rigor of the level 2 subjects above. The wide range of GCSE and Vocational course will enable any learner to make progress into their chosen Level 3 education. Be it an apprenticeship or sixth form or college.
Students will be given opportunities to experience trips and workshops to support the content covered in the subjects. As well as give our student real world experiences, which will help make our students more prepare to become part of our modern and ever-changing society.