Technology

At Quainton Hall School Information Technology (IT) and Design Technology (DT) are currently combined into a single series of lessons.

In the Junior School classes the children remain in their own classroom and are taught by their Class Teachers. As they move up the school, specialist teachers use a purpose-built Technology area for their IT and DT lessons.

A whole-school IT network is in use and this gives all the older boys password-controlled folders for their work, which may originate in any subject area throughout the school. Internet access is available, under appropriate supervision, in most of the teaching rooms and the refurbished School Library. Members of staff are able to link their curriculum coverage with the IT facilities in all year groups. The IT Schemes of Work are adaptable to include these cross-curricular areas when necessary.

Standard software products are used as much as possible, although in the younger classes specific educational versions of these packages are used to introduce children to the concepts under discussion. Appropriate peripherals are in use through the school allowing everyone to experience the breadth of IT applicability in both life and work.

DT lessons attempt to combine as many facets of this wide subject area as possible. Work is undertaken in resistant materials (plastics, wood, etc), introductory electronics, graphics, textiles and food technology. Safe working practices are particularly stressed and the tools available are appropriate to each year group. From the age of seven, boys are encouraged to be creative within the constraints of their project brief and those interested are, of course, able to take their completed work home. In the early years, where modelling is appropriate, the topic for the term will lead naturally to creative work. As boys move through the older classes, the mix of methods and projects continues to be linked with other curriculum areas. This is especially effective with History and Drama. We operate a Thursday evening Hobbies' Club through the term, when our older boys may return to school to take part in technological activities. Needless to say, the Club is very popular and occasionally parents come along as well!

Art is very definitely one of our flagship activities, as the displays of children's work throughout the school make very evident. We very much encourage boys to develop their artistic talent. Our School Art Club thrives and in recent years a number of senior boys shone in the subject at senior school entrance!