Where Next?
In Art, Food and Technology subjects at Brentwood, we encourage our students to be creative and teach them how a solution evolves through creative thinking. We urge them to use the skills learned in the classroom to extend their knowledge and understanding.
Art
At Brentwood School, we teach our students how to look. We aim to encourage students to appreciate art and create it for themselves.
We pride ourselves at being able to bring out the best in our students through a broad range of media. Not all our students can draw accurately but all can create good Art.
We want as many students as possible to take part in and enjoy artistic activities, as well as have opportunities for excellence if they are particularly talented.
Through painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography and video, we mould our students into confident, young artists. Art and Design is a subject for everyone; we are here to inspire and enthuse every student. Art is all-inclusive. Every student can achieve and it is our job to bring the creative qualities out of everyone.
Art enriches lives - we aim to make the uninspired creative.
The Art Department is located in the Hardy Amies Design Centre, named after the Queen’s costume designer who was a former student at the School. We have a large and well-equipped sculpture studio on the ground floor with a Photography studio, darkroom and IT suite as well as three kilns, glaze room and a range of printmaking equipment. Upstairs, there are two large and airy open-plan art studios with four teaching areas and a multimedia resources room complete with computers, a colour laser printer and scanners.
The Art Department is there to make students appreciate contemporary art and encourage them to enjoy visiting art galleries; to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of the world around us. Recent visits have included Japan, Venice, Florence, Madrid and New York. We also run weekly after-school art clubs and hold annual art exhibitions showcasing our students' work.
Design Technology
In Design Technology, we analyse everyday problems and develop concepts to overcome them.
Students develop their skills as problem solvers by creating new and exciting products to meet the needs of specific groups of people.
Students learn to apply systems in an entirely different context, use materials in unexpected ways, create and observe their creations in action and review effectiveness. What effect will it have on the environment? What will happen to it when its owner no longer wants it?
Our Design Technology curriculum involves a combination of practical and written work which enables students to develop their design and technological understanding in order to become holistic designers, considering the social factors of design as well as the relevant technology.
"Studying GCSE Design Technology has been really exciting and I have learned many new skills. I loved designing using CAD/CAM software and producing my own products in class."
GCSE Design Technology allows students to study core technical and designing and making principles, including a broad range of design processes, materials techniques and equipment. They will also have the opportunity to study specialist technical principles in greater depth.
At A Level, our students gain a real understanding of what it means to be a designer, alongside the knowledge and skills sought by higher education and employers.
We pride ourselves on our students’ successes, friendly environment and innovative and exciting project choices.
Food & Nutrition
Do you know what the word companion means? It comes from the Latin word ‘pan’ which means bread and a companion is someone you eat bread with. For as long as humans have existed, the understanding of food is what makes us unique.
At Brentwood, we have the best opportunities for you to explore the most basic of all human needs – the need for food! Understanding food on many levels is so important for young people; the next time you open a newspaper, pay attention to how many times food issues grab the headlines. Our lessons draw upon History, Geography, and all the Sciences, and in our Food and Nutrition kitchens; using the latest technology, your taste buds will travel the world!
Another aspect of our work we want you to relish is the pleasure of working with food – the wonderful aroma of bread baking, the sound of coffee grinding, and the beautiful colours you can create in a salad or a sauce, appealing to your creativity and imagination.
"This Year in Food Tech we have made a huge range of things, from profiteroles to galette des rois. I have also loved learning about the theory side, including nutrition as well as packaging and safety."
The course is taught in a 'hands-on' practical way; consequently, the weekly purchase of ingredients is essential. Students will need to visit the supermarket each week as part of the homework assignments. Students will learn about budgeting and about the comparative costs of ingredients while catering their own individual recipes and menus.
You'll learn to discover not only an engaging subject but also a skill – one which you can carry with you forever and a hobby that will never stop inspiring!
