Department Staff 

Miss Lindsay Lloyd – Head of Department

Mr Mark Griffiths – 2nd in Department with responsibility for Technology

Mr Chris Graham - Teacher Product Design and Head of House

Mr Danny Lay – Teacher of ICT and Business

Mrs Dawn Williams – Teacher of Food, Textiles and Childcare

Mrs Kelly Kirkby – Teacher of Textiles, Graphics and ICT

Mrs Ffion Cornelius - 2nd in Department with responsibility for Performing Arts

Mr Peter Brodey – Teacher of Music

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, making mistakes and having fun” Mary Lou Cook 

We work together as an enthusiastic team and promote an environment where all students develop personal responsibility and self-motivation but consider the needs and achievements of others. We achieve this by offering a broad balanced curriculum, which allows students to achieve their maximum potential. Programs of study are differentiated to match the ability, attitude and developmental level of individual pupils. 

We strive to stimulate a lasting interest in learning through problem solving and technological activities. We attempt to help students to develop their imaginations, sensitivity and creative responses to a wide range of aesthetic experiences. Technology has an important part to play in helping all students to acquire the knowledge and skills that will be needed for them to take an active role in future developments. 

The study of technology fosters a wide range of desirable qualities, which we value. Students should develop lively enquiring minds, the ability to question and argue rationally and to apply themselves to tasks and physical skills, both on their own and in groups 

Our department’s aim is to provide all learners with a stimulating and challenging curriculum, in an encouraging, supportive environment, providing opportunities to develop their Design Technology knowledge and skills including research, design, planning, making and evaluation. We wish to develop and nurture creativity and innovation in various subject areas including food technology, textiles, graphics, product design and ICT. 

The subject areas are linked with a theme in each key stage 3 year and are differentiated to enable all learners to access the curriculum and to stretch them to enable them to achieve their highest potential. Literacy, ICT and Numeracy skills are enhanced through the study of Technology and Performing Arts. 

The Performing Arts Department aims to aid pupils in finding their own star qualities. Pupils take part in music and drama lessons where they are encouraged to develop skills as performers, composers and creators. Work is completed through whole class and group activities, with opportunities for solo work in the projects that are completed. We encourage pupils to take an active role in lessons, supporting them to build their confidence as musicians and actors in each area of the curriculum.

 

The department also offers a variety of extra curricular activities for pupils including Peripatetic music lessons on a variety of instruments including:

• Brass (Trumpet/Cornet, Horn and Trombone)

• Woodwind (Flute, Clarinet and Saxophone)

• Strings (Violin, Cello)

• Guitar (and Bass Guitar)

• Piano

• Voice 

The Technology and Performing Arts department has high expectations of all pupils and aims to develop creative, resourceful and independent learners and to prepare and equip them for life for when they leave Rhyl High School, for further study or employment in their chosen area be it in a Performing Arts or Technology career pathway. 

 

• Textiles – Monsters

• Food Technology – monster and alien food

• Product Design – monster key fobs

• Graphics – CAD design

• ICT – Internet safety

• Food Technology – F1 Foods

• Product Design – Sports themed phone holders

• Graphics – Game Board Design

 

• Food Technology – 2 course meal

• Product Design – child’s toy

• ICT – ICT in business - Spreadsheets and Databases

• Graphics – Advertising

 

This course is a vocational course which offers pupils the chance to use ICT in a variety of practical ways and leads to an OCR qualification which is equivalent to 1 GCSE grade A*-C.

• ICT and Business communications

• Animation

• Advanced Spreadsheets

• Desktop publishing

• Web page creation

• Plan and produce computer graphics

• Creating animation for the WWW using ICT

This course will allow students to develop their skills to design and make contemporary products in a range of materials e.g. plastic, ceramics, textiles, card, metal and wood. 

Analysing and evaluating products and processes.

Developing and using design briefs, detailed specifications and criteria in relation to product development.

Designing for a range of users of products and different societies in relation to their different needs.

Matching materials and components with tools, equipment & processes to produce quality products.

 

The BTEC Hospitality course enables students to develop a variety of skills such as how to prepare a meal, how to look after customers and how to plan and carry out a hospitality event. 

These skills can be used when working in many settings including hotels, restaurants, bars and catering businesses. It is a vocational and work related qualification.

 

The course is broken down in to 6 units –

 

The course is a flexible course, which will enable pupils to gain the equivalent of 1 or 2 GCSE’s

 

At Key Stage Three we aim to offer the pupils a variety of opportunities to develop their skills as performing artists. We encourage pupils to see the link between music and drama by creating a thematic approach to our teaching.

Skills Development

The Elements of Music

Drama Skills Development

Singing Skills

Keyboard Skills

 

World Travels

Story telling

Music of Wales

World Music

 

The world of Television

Theme Tunes

Soap Operas

Creating Adverts

Mixing The Old With The New

Blues and Jazz music

Rap and dance music

Shakespeare with a twist

Film and Theatre

Film Music

Drama for Stage and Screen

Modern Culture

Making a band

Modern Practitioners of Drama

Writing a Hit!

Script Writing

 

At Key Stage Four we offer GCSE.

GCSE Music and GCSE Performing Arts

The course allows pupils to develop their skills in three main areas, Performing, Composing and Appraising. Topics covered include…

• Musical structure – how music is planned and developed

• Music for Stage and Screen – Film, television, musical theatre etc

• Music of Wales– traditional and modern Welsh Music

• Musical Evolution – Music of the 20th-21st century 

Each Pupil is required to perform one solo and one ensemble piece on a chosen instrument or voice and write two original compositions taking inspiration from the topics that they cover in class.

 

• Skills Development (planning for and developing the pupils skills in one main area of the performing arts)

• Knowledge of the Performing Arts Industry (Research project)

• Planning for a final performance (Research and planning project on a given theme)

• Final Performance (Pupils create a performance inspired by a given theme/ stimulus)

The course aims to develop the pupils as all-round performing artists and also provide them with knowledge of how the industry works outside of the classroom

 

The school homework club is available every day before/after school in a computer room to enable pupils to have support with their homework. Catch-up sessions for pupils who have missed work or want to get help on a topic if they are having any problems can be arranged with class teachers at lunch/after school.

GCSE revision sessions are also arranged for Yr 11 pupils throughout the year after school. (Please ask the class teacher for further details of these sessions.)

Edexcel - BTEC – Hospitality, Childcare and Performing Arts

WJEC – Product Design, Music, Fashion and Textiles

OCR – ICT