Design Technology
The Design & Technology Curriculum
In Design & Technology, our mission is to provide an engaging, challenging and fun curriculum, where students are encouraged to become independent and innovative designers of the future.
The Design and Technology department teaches practical skills that are transferable to other subjects and life outside school. For example, measurements and solving statistical problems (Mathematics); experimenting with nutrients (Biology/Chemistry); finding sustainable energy (Physics), sustainability (Geography); and isometric drawing (Art).
At Key Stage 3, students work on a carousel. There are two terms of Design & Technology (D&T) and one term of Food Preparation & Nutrition (FT) one lesson per week for the academic year.
At the start of Year 7, students have a basic skills project (Skills Box) over 6 weeks. This gives us information on students’ practical skills. After 6 weeks, students take a baseline assessment to see what students have learnt in D&T at KS2.
In Year 7, two projects, Skills box and Toy car in D&T and one in nutrition. Projects are designed so that students start with basic skills covering health and safety in the workshop that lead on to more complex skills, such as hand tool skills and computer-aided design (CAD).
In Year 8, two projects, Clock and Toy plane covers a wide range of skills, specialist tools, techniques and machinery, such as electronics and CAD/CAM (computer aided manufacture-laser cutter). The FT project is designed to cover health and nutrition for different age groups, and to move students on from basic practical skills to more complex skills.
In Year 9, two projects Electronic Dice and Mechanical toy in D&T and a Healthy Eating project in FT are designed to cover more complex knowledge and skills to support transition to KS4 e.g., use of Fusion 360 and 3D printing to manufacture prototypes.
At KS4 in Design & Technology, the curriculum is planned to prepare students for KS5. Throughout year 10, students complete a wide variety of design and make tasks that develop their knowledge and understanding of different material areas and industrial processes. By the end of year 10, students are prepared to start the Non-exam assessment (NEA), for which they are required to design, develop and prototype a solution/s for an identified problem, using the skills, techniques and processes that they have develop over since year 7.
Food Preparation & Nutrition is taught at KS4, students explore the Food science aspects of the subject through experiments that develop their understanding of the working characteristics, functional and chemical properties of food ingredients.
The making of different dishes helps students gain knowledge and understanding behind the planning, preparation, cooking and presentation of food, and application of nutrition.
BTEC level 3 extended certificate in Health and Social Care aims to develop knowledge and skills to gain an understanding of working within the Health and Social Care sector. The course explores a range of different career paths, looking at challenges faced by different age groups, physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially. Many of the skills learnt are transferable to other subjects, and the course is designed to prepare students for further qualifications in Health and Social Care, Psychology, Sociology and Psychology. It provides a strong base for progression to Further Education or an apprenticeship. â
A level Product Design
At Key Stage 5, students further build on their knowledge and understanding of D&T to prepare them to study the subject at university level, including areas such as product design, industrial design and architecture. Students develop their skills in designing, developing and manufacturing complex products to a greater level of accuracy and precision.
