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Years 7-11 Students

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

We study Design and Technology to nurture creativity, demonstrate iterative design, and show case problem solving in a practical manner. Technology is all around us and is driven by market pull, social factors and clients’ needs, which are reflected in the design and manufacture of prototypes and end products. Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. The enjoyment and commitment from students are shown from our high-quality outcomes and the outstanding progress that is made ensuring all students meet and exceed their personal best.

By studying Design and Technology we allow opportunities to develop skills and knowledge across a wide range of disciplines using traditional, practical and computer aided tools. Design and Technology covers Product Design, Resistant Materials, Electronics, Fashion and Textiles and Engineering, all problem-solving subjects building confidence and resilience in creative skills, testing, failing, improving and creating successful outcomes individually or as part of a team.

Students must understand the properties of materials across the breadth of subject areas to make informed decisions that influence performance, aesthetics and cost.  Across the key stages Design and Technology fosters the need to analyse contextual situations, build specifications, design creatively, test ideas and prototypes, manufacture products and evaluate outcomes.

Within Design and Technology, we begin with health and safety and building competency’s using industrial and domestic tools and equipment. Students will work collaboratively digesting Design Briefs and analysing tasks. Students will learn to communicate ideas through sketching in 2D and 3D. Later students will construct their own briefs and have the freedom to guide projects around their own choices and others wants and needs. We build later on greater complexity in design using specific software that allows students to showcase ideas on digital devices and outputs that would be used within a commercial environment.

We have carefully planned progression through our rigorous curriculum along with opportunities to revisit knowledge previously covered. Low stake retrieval of knowledge and monitoring of retention is conducted through formative and summative assessments alongside cooperative structures allowing students to build confidence in their answers and allow time to ensure the quality of answers are articulated with sureness and subject technical language.

Through our subject we look to actively develop skills transferrable skills, such as teamwork, project and time management which are consistently sought and valued by employers. We aim to provide a curriculum that will be relevant for the future. To prepare students for work within the full range of Design & Technology careers both locally and beyond. A curriculum that demonstrates that the skills fostered by Design and Technology are valuable preparation for careers in many other fields linking work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science computing and art.

We build the Cultural Capital of our students by ensuring they understand Britain’s contemporary design practice and design heritage, as well as a knowledge of international design practice using business and enterprise links. We encourage wider reading and the exploration of academic theory of design using a range of resources referencing these within students work and using quantitative and qualitative data to justify decision making.

Pupils can choose more refined technology options from Year 9 onwards. These support the subsequent GCSE D&T course which are delivered by our material specialist teachers with a focus of Resistant Materials, Electronics or Textiles. This GCSE then provides a fantastic base to study D&T Product Design at A Level.

Product Design A Level Curriculum Overview


Please click on the project titles below for additional details of the tasks undertaken.

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