Creative Technologies Department

Holy Family Catholic High School Creative Technologies Curriculum

'Together we step out in faith, knowing Christ is with us and united as a holy family.'

The Creative Technologies department’s vision is to promote a love of learning across the department and inspire students to become informed, creative and reflective learners, fully encompassing the school mission to help and guide students ‘to grow in wisdom and grace’.  The department’s goal is to equip students with the essential, critical skills and core knowledge to progress in the subject and in life, using their God-given talents to thrive. Across KS3, students cover all subject areas in art & technology which equips students with the critical skills and knowledge to progress into one or more specific subject area. If students do not choose to take a creative technology subject forward as an option they will still have the basic skills to support them in becoming independent, creative thinkers, which will benefit them in other areas and after school. At KS4, students develop and deepen their knowledge and skills in one or more subject area. Using links to industry and embedding skills derived from KS3, ensuring students are focused and prepared for life after Holy Family. We endeavor to support all students in a practical and nurturing way to help them achieve their full potential.

Creative Technologies is a range of subjects that offer a variety of opportunities for students to develop, progress and deepen their creative flair. Our ultimate aim is to instill an awareness of people’s needs and the role creative subjects can play in helping to meet those needs. The subject must therefore ensure the purposeful acquisition of material handling skills and a thorough understanding of making processes. Students must be encouraged to: focus their imagination, make value judgments, initiate ideas, make good quality products and outcomes, develop ideas, test and evaluate their products and own work.

Why is it important?

Creative Technologies gives students the opportunity to intervene with the made world. To use materials and tools in a workshop, art room or food room. Through practical activities students will begin to understand the pressures that operate in industry with products, people, systems and environments. Through its very nature, the subject gives students an outlet to try out their own ideas and develop their own style. Qualities implicit to creative technologies like perception, imagination, innovation, value judgment, planning and thoughtfulness are also those which are vital in the creative world. Specialist teachers with their own passion for the subject, understand how students learn and progress within the areas. They use cognitive learning strategies to embed skills, to then allow students to deepen their knowledge and understand in the subject. Schemes of learning are clear and build on prior knowledge, sequencing learning for students, giving them an insight in to industry and future learning.

Teaching is consistent across the department and follows whole school and departmental expectations. Teachers maintain high expectations, challenging students thinking. Teachers follow the curriculum plan, showing sequencing, which is shared with students so they are aware of what they are learning and how it fits into their learning journey. Lessons are planned on prior knowledge by using recall and interleaving, low stakes quizzes and starter activities to ensure that content has been understood. Questioning is a key tool used to establish understand and challenge thinking. Misconceptions are addressed and built on. Teaching and planning are moderated as a department by having regular meetings and moderation of work, drop ins and sharing of good practice as a department (quality assurance, student voice, department moderation).

How do we assess student’s skills and understanding?

Students work is assessed both formatively and summatively throughout the year. We use low stakes quizzes in lessons, peer and self-feedback, RRRR (retrieve, reflect, reorder, repeat) and interleaving. As we are a practical subject, we also use a lot of assessment for learning (AFL) and verbal feedback during lessons, addressing misconceptions as they arise. We have a department marking and feedback sheet that shows next steps, this is consistently used across the department. This provides students with detailed feedback which they can reflect on and improve their work. Planning and assessment at KS3 shares the same processes as KS4 (design, make, evaluate, technical knowledge), which supports students in becoming confident, independent and creative thinkers with a range of practical making skills. 

When tracking students, we have a department ‘check ins’ which allows us to see students’ progress and identify students that need intervention or more support. Student voice is used to address any issues or misconceptions in the dept.

Students will develop skills, knowledge and understanding that allows them to use what they have learnt to progress to the next key stage, or industry. This includes skills that are transferrable and that can be used in real life situations, including but not limited to, problem solving, analytical thinking and creative thinking, developing students holistically.