Design and technology

The Art, Design and Technology Faculty is well equipped and resourced with highly professional, experienced and energetic staff. The curriculum delivered provides numerous opportunities for students to develop relevant knowledge and skills.

The design and technology (D&T) department consists of two workshops, a dedicated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) room, a graphics/design room, two food rooms and a textiles room with an adjoining wet room. All rooms are well equipped and we have a variety of computer-aided design & computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) facilities.

Key stage 3

Students in years 7, 8 and 9 have three lessons per week. In each year students will work in four areas of D&T to help them develop their designing and making skills alongside their knowledge and understanding of the subject.

Year 7

Resistant Materials / Electronics Mechanisms Food Textiles
Students learn about one of the varieties of plastics used in D&T and how to “work it”. Alongside this they gain experience of simple electronic circuits by using one in this project. They learn how to use simple hand tools and equipment (drills, strip heater, soldering irons etc.) safely This project gives students the opportunity to learn about how mechanisms play a vital role in D&T. Using a variety of tools and equipment students design and make a simple linkage mechanism using a variety of tools and equipment. Students in year 7 will be encouraged to take an interest in the food that they eat and to develop skills to build their competence in the basic methods of cooking. Through a practical approach, the strands of health, hygiene, safety, planning and organisation will form the basis of the course. We hope that students will be able to view food as an enjoyable aspect of everyday life and to understand its importance in our health and well-being. This project involves working with fleece fabric to make a winter hat. In a practical context students learn about the properties of fabrics, the construction process and the safe use of a variety of tools and pieces of equipment, including the sewing machine. There is an emphasis on designing for an individual and different decoration techniques are explored to create a unique product, including the use a computerised embroidery machine.

Year 8

Resistant Materials Mechanisms Food Textiles
This is a plastics based project whereby students further develop their knowledge of plastics as by designing and making a product which uses acrylic as its main material. The variety of tools and equipment they use is extended from that in year 7 This project builds on the work done in year 7 and involves students designing and making a children’s toy that incorporates a cam mechanism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Students in year 8 will explore the theme of take-away and snack meals. They will undertake a range of practical tasks before completing a design and make assignment. By exploring different flavours, methods and influences, students can critically evaluate the market and make decisions about the value of commercially produced meals. Healthy eating and food safety are strands that run throughout the course. The focus of this project is colour, texture and surface decoration. Students use the theme of Natural Forms and work with batik and embroidery to create a cushion cover. Students investigate the needs of the potential user and develop a range of ideas before finalising a solution. The variety of tools, equipment and processes they use is extended from that in year 7, and include the use of an overlocker.

Year 9

At the end of year 8 students are asked to think about which areas of D&T they would most likely consider to follow at GCSE level (year 10 & 11).

Once they have indicated their preferences they will have the opportunity, during year 9, to be involved in extended projects (13 weeks in length) in those two areas. This is to enable them to gain a greater insight into those areas and are, therefore, able to make a more informed decision regarding which D&T subject they may wish to study at GCSE level.

Students will also complete two further, shorter, projects in two other areas of D&T (this is to ensure they will have covered all the many aspects of the D&T curriculum by the end of key stage 3).

Resistant Materials Graphic Products Food Textiles
Building on work done in year 8 students further develop their making designing & skills through a project that allows them to utilise CAD/CAM software to realise a realistic design solution. Pewter and its casting are the main material and process used in this project. This project is aimed at developing student’s ability to communicate visually. 3d sketching is an important part of this project as is their ability to design and make a graphic product that promotes a product or service of their choice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Students consider ways of adapting popular cook-chill meals and party food to create healthy options. As with year 8, the students will undertake a range of practical tasks before completing a design and make assignment. Students will explore flavours and use sensory analysis as a way of evaluating food products. As students become more adept and confident, the complexity of the practical work increases and there will be some opportunity for personal choice. This is a fashion based project during which students investigate how logos are used to promote teenage fashion items. Building on work covered in years 7 and 8 students experiment with a range of surface decoration  techniques to generate a logo to embellish a small bag, phone case or tablet cover for the teenage fashion market.

Key stage 4

Studying design and technology at GCSE level will continue to prepare students so that you will be able to participate in our rapidly changing technological society.

In D&T you will combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetics, social and environmental issues, function and industrial practices that will provide you with the opportunities to develop into creative problem solvers. Through D&T you can become discriminating and informed users of products, and become innovators.

We offer the following courses as key stage 4 options:

Engineering

WJEC Level 1 and 2 vocational award

Designed for learners with an interest in the world of design and engineering, the course provides students with the ability to read technical drawings / manufacturing specifications and apply this to produce an engineered product. Students will learn how to use different tools and materials precisely.

Topic areas covered

Solving engineering problems:

  • different sectors in engineering including sustainability;
  • health and safety in the engineering environment;
  • understanding engineering materials and their properties; and
  • external examination includes technical drawings, mathematics and average literacy skills to be able to technically solve problems. Approximately one third of marks is maths based.

Engineering design:

  • analysis of brief
  • product analysing
  • specification
  • generating and evaluating ideas
  • producing third angle orthographic projection (2D design, working to scale)
  • produce a 3D engineering drawing usiung Google sketch up

Producing an engineered product:

  • interpreting engineering drawings
  • using tools and equipment correctly
  • identifying resources and stages of making
  • manufacturing processes used in engineering
  • evaluating quality of engineered products.

Three Dimensional Design

OCR GCSE qualification

Students work with a variety of materials, equipment and techniques, including woodwork, metalwork and plastics. The course covers the design and manufacture of jewellery, furniture and interiors. Students then choose which area they wish to develop further through a personal investigation project and will record their ideas through drawings, diagrams and producing models.

Students will gain an understanding of the relationship between form and function through researching, selecting, analysing, constructing and presenting artefacts, products and personal outcomes.

The course comprises of two units.

Unit 1

Portfolio of practical work showing the student’s response to a given starting point.

Portfolio must include four objectives:

  • investigations into the work of designers, taking inspiration to develop own work;
  • designs that show originality of ideas using relevant materials;
  • experimentation with a wide variety of processes, materials and techniques, evaluating own work as it progresses; and
  • produce a final outcome which links the above objectives together and also refers to the work of designers.

Unit 2

A portfolio of work against a set brief and specialising in techniques of interest to them, including:

  • wood turning
  • wood joinery
  • milling
  • furniture construction
  • enamelling
  • metalwork
  • soldering
  • forming
  • moulding
  • CAD/CAM