Courses
Ks3 teaching - Product Design, Food preparation and nutrition, and 3D Graphical Design.
Design Technology
At Key Stage 3, Design and Technology is taught through a linear curriculum with one lesson per week, allowing students to steadily develop their knowledge, skills and confidence over time. Throughout each academic year, students complete four engaging projects that introduce them to a range of design and manufacturing processes, materials and technologies. Each project builds upon previous learning, helping students progress from developing practical skills and creative thinking to understanding the iterative design process, problem-solving and evaluating products. This structured approach ensures that all students gain a broad and balanced experience of Design and Technology while preparing them for future study at GCSE leave
Food Preparation and Nutrition
Food Preparation and Nutrition is taught as a linear curriculum in Years 7 and 8, with students receiving one lesson every two weeks. The course is designed to progressively develop practical cooking skills, food knowledge and nutritional understanding through a range of engaging activities and recipes. Students build on prior learning as they explore key topics such as healthy eating, food safety and hygiene, nutrition, food provenance and consumer awareness. Through hands-on practical work and theory-based learning, students gain confidence in preparing a variety of dishes while developing essential life skills that promote independence, creativity and informed food choices.
Ks4 teaching - Design & Technology AQA
https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/design-and-technology/specifications/AQA-8552-SP-2017.PDF
What is the Course About?
Central to the course is the ‘design process’ – a system for finding the best solution to a problem. The 'design process', as taught in school, closely follows the format used in industry and requires skill in graphics and modeling. The 'making' element of the course expands on the skills and knowledge that the student has gained during years seven to nine. The use of machine processes is encouraged to engender safe and relevant experience of manufacturing, we are equipped with high-quality PCs, Apple Macs, our 3D create education hub equipped with10 3D printers, two laser cutters and three 3D denford micro routers. See the facilities page for more information on our facilities.
We are always looking to expand the experiences of our students, and aim to visit important design exhibitions, universities, and businesses. We also enter and win national design competitions. It is also possible for students to select/aim for a design based work experience in Year 10.
Career implications
Design and technology is an excellent course for any student wishing to enter into a wide variety of areas, and was recently voted by teachers across the country as the “most valuable subject for learning skills”. Over the last few years, we have had students go on to study for degrees in a wide variety of areas, such as Architecture, Product design, Industrial design, Automotive design, Engineering, Illustration, Computer Graphics, and many more. The disciplined ‘Problem Solving' nature of the subject lends itself to virtually every area of learning and therefore can serve to complement any other subject.
Method of Study and Assessment
NEA (non-exam based assessment) Controlled assessment portfolio and artifact – 50% of GCSE
This is the compilation of graphical evidence of the design progress in the selected project, combined with the practical outcome (or artifact) to build a complete ‘design and make’ experience. The contexts for the NEA is released by AQA in the summer term.
Examination Written Paper – 2 hours – 50% of GCSE
This is a single paper encompassing every aspect of the course. The paper focus on the three principal areas of the course.
- Core technical principles
- Specialist technical principles
- Designing and making principles
Sixth form teaching - Product Design AQA
https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/design-and-technology/specifications/AQA-7552-SP-2017.PDF
What is the course about?
This creative and thought-provoking qualification gives students the practical skills, theoretical knowledge and confidence to succeed in a number of careers. Especially those in the creative industries. They will investigate historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic influences on design and technology, whilst enjoying opportunities to put their learning in to practice by producing prototypes of their choice. Students will gain a real understanding of what it means to be a designer, alongside the knowledge and skills sought by higher education and employers.
For whom is the course suitable?
The course suitable for students who whish to make the next step on from their design related GCSE. The scope of the qualification allows students who have studied design based courses, such as: Design Technology, engineering, Graphics , Electronics, Textiles, and Systems and Control to progress onto an A level in Product Design.
Teaching Methods and Homework commitment
The course is broken down into exam and coursework based units. A large number of teaching methods are utilised to address the large and diverse course content. Exam based units are delivered in a focused practical task format, utilising workshop facilities for hands-on testing and materials analysis, and Apple Mac suit for classroom teaching. The coursework unites are delivered as design tasks based around student work submission deadlines, both Workshop and computer suits are available to the students. A large part of the coursework is individual and encourages independent learning which helps students to develop further skills in decision making, creativity, and critical analysis through individual and collaborative working.
Method of Study and Assessment
Paper 1 Technical principles
Written exam: 2 hours and 30 minutes, 120 marks, 30% of A-level Questions Mixture of short answer and extended response focusing on technical principals
Paper 2 Designing and making principles
Written exam: 1 hour and 30 minutes, 80 marks, 20% of A-level Questions Mixture of short answer and extended response questions.
Non-exam assessment (NEA)
What's assessed Practical application of technical principles, designing and making principles. How it's assessed: Substantial design and make project,100 marks, 50% of A-level Evidence Written or digital design portfolio and photographic evidence of final prototype.
What could I go on to do at the end of the course?
Design Technology is recognised by many Universities as being one of the most useful subjects available, due to the analytical and creative thinking elements that it focuses upon. The course enables students to be inspired, moved and challenged by following a broad, coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course of study, that also gives an insight into related sectors, such as manufacturing and engineering. The course has been a ‘springboard’ into a wide variety of courses and careers. In the last few years our students have gone on to study: Industrial Design, Product Design, Engineering, Industrial Design and Engineering, Civil engineering, Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Automotive design, and Computer illustration in some of the best universities in the country as well as apprenticeships and direct employment using Computer Aided Design.