Design and Technology | Rothwell St Marys

Design Technology

The Arts Ethos

Reverence

Reverence means deep respect and admiration for someone or something.

Across school, we use art as a way for pupils to express their admiration, reverence and understanding of God and His creation. Through drawing, painting, sculpture and other creative forms, pupils are encouraged to explore and communicate their ideas about faith, worship, religious stories and the world around them.

As pupils progress through the school, their artwork develops in complexity and depth, allowing them to express their growing understanding of religious beliefs and values. Art provides every child with an opportunity to reflect, respond creatively and show reverence for the world God created.

As a school, we have shown reverence for the world God created for us through art. The artwork showcased in the hall reflects our appreciation and deep respect for God’s creation.

Resilience

Resilience is about learning from setbacks, persevering when things are difficult, and having the confidence to try again.

This is particularly important in Art and DT, where children can sometimes lack confidence in their own abilities.

Unlike subjects where there may be one correct answer, the arts are often subjective. There is not always a single ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ outcome. Children may respond differently to a particular medium, experimenting with and manipulating materials in their own way to create something that reflects their individual ideas, experiences and feelings.

Through our teaching of the arts, we encourage children to keep going, take risks, learn from mistakes and persevere, even when they find a particular skill challenging. Developing artistic skills takes time and practice, much like developing handwriting. The more children practise, experiment and refine their techniques, the more confident and capable they become.

Respect

Respect means treating someone or something with consideration, value and regard.

For example, respecting a person means listening to them, considering their feelings and rights, and treating them with kindness and politeness.

Art allows us to express our own feelings, thoughts and reflections on our learning and understanding. That is why we encourage the use of art across all subjects. We also encourage children to listen to and appreciate the reflections, thoughts and feelings of others by showcasing artwork around the school. In doing so, we teach children to respect and value each other’s unique ideas, creativity and perspectives.

At Rothwell St Mary’s, Design Technology is purposefully designed to prepare children to take part in an increasingly technological world. Working on enhancing their creativity, technical expertise and logical problem-solving skills, our Design Technology curriculum aims to encourage children’s independence and curiosity.

Around school, you can see a wide range of Design Technology projects underway. From designing and making prototypes for a range of users to learning how to cook, children are taught to critique, evaluate and test their own work every step of the way. Through this meaningful Design Technology curriculum, the children of Rothwell St Mary’s are building a set of useful skills vital for future life.

2025/2026

The children in Year 2 have been busy preparing a wrap as a balanced meal. They used their design criteria to support the process and the result was delicious!