Art and Design Technology

The Art and Design Technology department at Ellesmere delivers a passion for art to all the year groups through an exciting range of themes and projects. We offer a broad curriculum of skills through Fine Art, Textiles, Painting and Drawing and 3-Dimensional studies.

Within Art and Design Technology, pupils will explore the use of techniques and skills, processes and concepts in order to develop their own creative awareness and visual understanding of the subject. This aims to extend their manipulative skills and equip them with a clearer and greater understanding of Critical and Conceptual studies, expanding their vocabulary and language through Art and Design.

Art and Design Technology has the capabilities of stimulating pupil's creativity and imagination, offering experiences that are visual, tactile and sensory. The aim is to enable the student to use colour, form, shape, line, texture, pattern, and composition linked with different materials, processes and ideas to communicate what they see, feel and think.

Art and Design Technology empowers pupils to make well informed value judgments as well as aesthetic and practical decisions whilst becoming actively involved with shaping their environment. They will explore ideas, meanings and expression within the world of artists, craftspeople and designers. Learning about the diverse roles and functions of art in both contemporary life and at different times and within diverse cultures.

In years 7 and 8, students will also study Design and Technology where they will tackle a range of projects from wooden toys to iPod speakers. In Year 8, all pupils have the chance to put their work forward to the National Star Pack awards.

Design and Technology becomes optional in Year 9, although it remains a popular option. Pupils will look at designing in the same style of famous designers as well as getting their first experience of high quality Computer Aided Design.

At GCSE level, pupils can follow the two year Product Design course and potentially carry this on into A-Level. Work produced by pupils in recent years include: a handmade guitar, a model of a geothermal power station and a seat for a child's play area.

The Design and Technology department is located in the Art and Design area of the school. There are two general purpose workshops with tools and equipment being updated every few years. As well as the practical work space there is a computer suite with 18 computers running state of the art 3D design software.