Art & Design Technology
CURRICULUM INTENT – DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
All pupils:
- Will embrace a love and appreciation of Design & Technology, gaining an understanding of the world – and themselves – by looking at what’s been expressed by others before them
- Will strive to work in stimulating contexts that provide a range of opportunities and draw on the local ethos, community and wider world
- Will identify needs and opportunities
- Respond with ideas, products and systems – challenging expectations where appropriate – combining practical and intellectual skills with an understanding of aesthetic, technical, cultural, health, social, emotional, economic, industrial and environmental issues
- Experience a journey as they do so, evaluating present and past Design Technology, and its uses and effects
- Develop confidence in using practical skills and become discriminating users of products, applying their creative thinking and how to innovate
- Have the opportunity and experience to work with a range of materials, subject specific areas and disciplines including Cooking & Nutrition, Product Design, Graphic Design, Textile Design and Illustration
- Will develop skills, knowledge and techniques using CAD / CAM and workshop tools and machinery
- Will demonstrate greater subject knowledge each year, more in-depth and challenging skills / techniques and links to GCSE terminology, knowledge and experience
CURRICULUM INTENT – ART & DESIGN
The overall intention of the Art and Design curriculum at KS3 is to build upon student experience from Primary School, and broaden and deepen skill, knowledge and (critical) understanding of Art. Studies in Art and Design should enable students to make judgements about their own work, and the work of other; it should also equip them with the practical skills to produce proficient, personal outcomes when responding to a range of projects and stimuli. Students should start to understand what Art is, what an artist does, and the role of Art and the artist in their own context.
A wider intention of the curriculum is to introduce, develop and embed a range of life skills, transferable skills, ‘employability’ skills, that will support and empower students in their future studies. Art and Design skills are highly regarded by employers, and extremely relevant in the current labour market. The skills we focus on include: Problem Solving, Initiative, Research, Teamwork, Oracy, Organisation and Self-Awareness. Fine-motor/Haptic skills are an inherent by-product of good Art practice.
Investment in Art and Design provides students with fantastic exposure to culture capital. We provide a rich and diverse experience within lessons, and we are constantly looking to ensure students have opportunities to experience Art and Design more directly through gallery visits and visiting practitioners.
Students will gradually develop their understanding of Contextual Studies, providing an historical, cultural and theoretical framework, allowing them to make sense of Art and Design, and to consider how Art and Design may help them to understand the wider world. Students will be able to discuss, annotate and evaluate their work using key words and specialist vocabulary.
Sequencing will ensure the progressive development of core knowledge (based around The Formal Elements) through increasingly challenging content skills and knowledge-based content, often using one to inform the other.
Students will use the application of different media to create compositions, draw from primary and secondary sources, and respond to artists’ styles and techniques. They will develop and build upon the initial focus on the formal elements, responding to Art and Architecture from different cultures and historical contexts. They will be expected to develop independent research skills.
During each year at KS3, students will be assessed in a variety of ways including: class and peer assessment activities, formative and summative assessment of practical outcomes and homework tasks.
In Years 7, 8 and 9, students have two hours of Art and Design over the two-week timetable. Equipment and resources are provided for all students.
CURRICULUM INTENT – COOKING & NUTRITION
All pupils:
- Will be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating incorporating the science of cooking and the need for hygienic practices in the kitchen.
- Will instil a love of cooking that will encourage creativity and develop a repertoire of dishes that they can cook independently.
- Will learn how to cook, which is a crucial life skill that enables students to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.
DESIGN TECHNOLOGY, ART AND COOKING – HOW IT IS TAUGHT
KEY STAGE 3
Students are taught the D&T National Curriculum in mixed ability groups in Key Stage 3. The various projects taught have been recently adapted by the Design Technology team and cover several disciplines under the Design Technology Umbrella, including:
Cooking and Nutrition
Electronics
Graphic Design
Product Design
Textile Design
Subject areas are taught in specific ‘chunks’ over each year, with many projects incorporating a high practical element.
Working on a rotation system allows all students to experience various disciplines under the Design Technology umbrella in Year 7, 8 and 9. Students will rotate around the department, receiving specialist teaching, 4-6 times over each academic year, depending on year group.
In Year 7, 8 & 9 students will have 3 hours of Design Technology over the 2-week timetable. Dependent on subject area, students will produce theoretical and / or practical outcomes. At KS3, students will study core content in Cooking and Nutrition, Electronics, Graphic Design, Product Design and Textile Design. Each year will demonstrate greater subject knowledge, more in-depth and challenging skills / techniques and links to GCSE terminology, knowledge, and experience.
Throughout each year at KS3, students will be assessed in a variety of ways including:
- Formative feedback (with NTT student responses)
- Whole class feedback
- Photographic evidence
- Summative feedback
- Practical outcomes
- Homework / home learning tasks
All pupils are given a progress / ‘best’ folder to support their learning and showcase their exemplar and assessed work.
KEY STAGE 4
At KS4, in Design Technology and Art and Design, we offer an exciting variety of GCSE courses. These are new, challenging GCSEs which will incorporate both practical skills and a greater depth – and demonstration – of subject knowledge. There is an increased emphasis on applying knowledge through detailed annotation, experimentation, CAD/CAM (as appropriate) and subject specific understanding.
Students would be expected to have a genuine interest in Design Technology and / or Art and Design along with a level of creative ability. It is imperative that pupils are able to work on their own initiative with these courses, as it requires a great deal of self-motivation to attain a good GCSE grade.
AQA DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
This GCSE has been designed to prepare students to participate confidently and successfully in an increasingly technological world. Students will gain awareness and learn from wider influences on Design Technology including historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic factors. Students will get the opportunity to work creatively when designing and making and applying technical and practical expertise. Component 1- Non-exam assessment (NEA): Design and make task (50%), Component 2: Written Examination (50%). This course is offered to students who have a keen interest in Graphic Design, Product Design and Textile Design. Students would be offered an avenue to choose for each discipline. Students would follow the same course structure, studying the same specification but their projects and design tasks would be focused on their chosen specialism e.g., Graphic Design.
Key Stage 4 Revision Video
AQA FOOD PREPARATION AND NUTRITION
Our fresh and exciting GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition specification equips students with an array of culinary techniques, as well as knowledge of nutrition, food traditions, food science, kitchen safety and food provenance. This course helps students develop their knowledge and understanding of food and nutrition issues in a diverse society and enables them to work in a variety of contexts.
The course is split in to two sections:
Component 1: Two Non-exam assessments (NEA) (50% of the overall GCSE grade):
Task 1: Food investigation (30 marks). Students will be assessed on their understanding of the working characteristics, functional and chemical properties of ingredients.
Practical investigations are a compulsory element of this NEA task.
Task 2: Food preparation assessment (70 marks). Students’ knowledge, skills and understanding of the planning, preparation, cooking and presentation of food and application of nutrition will be assessed in this task. Students will prepare, cook and present a final menu of three dishes within a single period three hours.
Component 2: Written Examination (50% of the overall GCSE grade).
The written exam will be for 1 hour 45 minutes. It will be out of 100 marks and include multiple choice questions (20 marks) and five questions each with a number of sub questions. These questions will test student’s knowledge and understanding of the full course (80 marks).
Key Stage 4 Revision Video
AQA ART AND DESIGN:
We are also happy to be offering the following courses. They are structured and assessed in the following way:
Component 1:Portfolio – Non-exam assessment (NEA). The portfolio shows explicit coverage of the four assessment objectives. It must include a sustained project evidencing the journey from initial engagement to the realisation of intentions and a selection of further work undertaken during the student’s course of study. It is worth 96 marks and = 60% of GCSE.
Component 2:Externally set assignment. Students respond to a chosen starting point from an externally set assignment paper relating to their subject title, evidencing coverage of all four assessment objectives. Students have a Preparatory period followed by 10 hours of supervised time. It is worth 96 marks and = 40% of GCSE.
AQA ART AND DESIGN: FINE ART
Fine art practice is defined as the need to explore an idea, convey an experience or respond to a theme or issue of personal significance. In Component 1 and Component 2 students are required to work in area(s) of fine art, such as: drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, land art. Students may explore overlapping areas and combinations of areas.
Key Stage 4 Revision Video
AQA ART AND DESIGN: PHOTOGRAPHY
This exciting and creative course is for learners who have a keen interest in photography. The emphasis is on the process of developing ideas and practical, creative work. Students will be introduced to a variety of experiences exploring a range of photographic media, techniques and processes. They will be made aware of both traditional and new technologies. Students use sketchbooks to underpin their work where appropriate, building up a portfolio of evidence.
We are very proud of the fact that students at Holmfirth achieve extremely high standards and believe a lot of it is due to our structured approach and emphasis on independent learning. We provide access to many resources and equipment as well as extra support sessions in school. We also believe good home-school communications are a major key to success, and as such we regularly write home to all parents throughout the course.
Key Stage 4 Revision Video
EXAM SPECIFICATIONS
AQA FOOD PREPARATION AND NUTRITION
CURRICULUM LEADER
Miss K Greaves
Head of Art
Mr C Dean
Second in Design Technology
Mrs E McHugh
WHAT CAREER?
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
TEXTILES DESIGNER
ILLUSTRATOR
PRODUCT DESIGNER
WEB DESIGNER
PHOTOGRAPHER
INTERIOR DESIGNER
COPYWRITER
ARTIST
SCULPTOR
ENGINEER
ELECTRICIAN
DIGITAL ELECTRONICS DESIGNER
NUTRITIONIST
FASHION DESIGNER
TAILOR
ARCHITECT
SOFTWARE ENGINEER
CIVIL ENGINEER
CARPENTER
CERAMICIST
CHEF
COSTUME / SET / PROP DESIGNER
PROGRAMMER