Design and Technology

Our curriculum aims to develop student’s knowledge and understanding of both the design process and the use of materials in our modern world, with a focus on sustainability. We enable our students to develop confidence and personal creativity alongside analytical thought and problem-solving skills.

The KS3 curriculum aims to engage, inspire and challenge students equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, create and produce personal outcomes. In Year 7 and 8 they rotate twice through a carousel that encompasses Food Technology, Resistant Materials and Textiles. Students will begin to develop their understanding of the design process through guided projects in Year 7, before continuing and extending this in Year 8.

At GCSE students can select Design & Technology: Product design or Design & Technology: Textiles and Food Technology as options. Year 9 study in all courses is skills focused, with the GCSE content commencing in Year 10.

Year 7

Students carousel to cover these three areas of Design Technology over the school year:

Food Technology

Students will be introduced to a variety of basic cooking skills while also learning about healthy eating and the ‘Eatwell guide’.

Students will create 3 dishes based around fruit and veg:

Fruit salad
Vegetable soup
Fruity flapjack

Resistant Materials

Students will develop knowledge and skills in woodwork and plastics through the design and creation of a mobile phone holder, learning about:

Use of hand held tools
Key design movements
Material finishing processes
Design process.

Textiles

Students will develop knowledge and skills in textiles through the design and creation of an ‘Ugly doll’, learning about:

Hand sewing techniques and stitches
Researching skills
Design process
Project evaluation

Year 8

Students carousel to cover these three areas of Design Technology over the school year:

Food Technology

Students will develop their basic cooking skills as well as investigate other cultures and cuisines. Using their knowledge and understanding of ingredients they will produced 3 dishes based around Indian cuisine:

Chapati
Onion Bhajis
Saag Aloo

Resistant Materials

Students will enhance their knowledge and skills of material properties to produce a recycled plastic key ring, learning about:

Climate change and recycled plastic
Design processes
Use of hand tools
Project evaluation

Textiles

Students will develop knowledge and skills in textiles by designing and constructing a tote bag, learning about:

Use of sewing machines
Research into Aboriginal art
Design process
Project evaluation

Year 9 - D&T: Product Design

Design & Technology: Product Design – Year 9

Over the course of Year 9, students will be introduced to the core skills needed for Product Design and work to build these through a series of projects.

Autumn Term

Drawing Techniques

Students will begin to develop their drawing skills through a series of mini projects designed to improve and stretch their abilities. Drawing styles such as: Isometric drawing, orthographic drawing, observational drawing, rendering and crating will be used.

Research Skills

Students will be developing their research skills through a variety of techniques. This will inform later projects as researching becomes a main part of the designing process.

Project 1 – Basic Skills box

Students will develop their research and drawing skills through their first practical project. They will learn how to use key hand tools and machinery to create a small trinket box. This project will also tie in key theory principles relating to wood.

Spring Term

CAD processes

Students will be introduced to a computer programme which will enable them to design digitally and lead to the use of the laser cutter and 3D printer.

Cardboard modelling

Students will develop their modelling skills further through other materials such as cardboard. Students will test out various cardboard techniques as well as use new hand tools such as craft knives and hot glue guns.

Project 2 – Acrylic clock

Project 2 focus will be around using alternative materials to design and make a working clock. Students will use their knowledge of CAD process and cardboard modelling to create their clock faces.

Summer Term

Project 2 cont.

Students will continue to work on their clock projects and aim to produce a portfolio of work alongside their final outcome.

Theory topic

During the final term of year 9 students will be introduced to a key theory topic as part of the GCSE content. Students will learn about the work of other designers and how this can impact their practical projects.

Year 9 - D&T: Textiles

Design & Technology: Textiles – Year 9

Over the course of Year 9, students will be introduced to the core skills needed for Textiles and work to build these through a series of projects.

Autumn Term

Skill building

Students will spend the first half term building their practical skills using a variety of different equipment such as the sewing machine, embellisher and heat press. They will create a number of samples showing how to use a sewing machine, surface manipulation and surface decoration.

Project 1 – Cushion cover

Spring Term

Pattern cutting project

Students will learn how to follow a basic pattern to create a fitted garment. This project will require students to improve their accuracy and ability to follow instructions carefully. They will develop problem solving skills where they will need to adapt their garments. Students will begin to learn about fabric properties and manipulation.

Summer Term

Project 3 – Product adaptation

Project 3 will be directly linked to the theory topic students will learn alongside. Students will adapt a basic garment inspired by an era or designer using key surface decoration techniques. This project will have a focus on different cultures and students will be introduced to techniques such as tiedye and batiq to be used within their product.

Theory topic – The work of other designers

Students will learn about key textiles designers as part of their GCSE content and use this information to inform their practical project. They will learn about a number of inspirational designers and understand how they can impact their own design work

Year 9 - Food & Nutrition

Food Preparation & Nutrition – Year 9

The aims of the Year 9 curriculum for Food & Nutrition is to teach students about food in its widest sense and help them learn and develop a wide range of food preparation skills. Students will be given the opportunity to gain confidence in their cooking abilities and gain a further understanding of Food & Nutrition theory.

Autumn Term

Home cooking skills

The aim of this project is to introduce the students to basic cooking skills and help them improve independence. This project will focus on home cooking – simple dishes that are often cooked at home. Dishes cooked can be seen below:

Spring Term

Investigating ingredients – Cuisines

Students will investigate a variety of cooking processes specific to alternative cuisines and countries. They will gain a wider understanding of cuisines and how this can impact their own cooking choices. Using cooking skills learned in the Autumn term students will gain more autonomy with their ingredients choices and rely more on sensory analysis.

Summer Term

Food Safety

This project will begin to focus on the theory knowledge from the GCSE specification. Students will learn about Food safety when cooking, causes and problems surrounding food safety and understanding of how to stay safe. All practical dishes will inform knowledge learned about food safety.

Year 10 - 3D Design

3D Design – Year 10

Autumn Term

Trinket box project

Students will take part in the trinket box project to identify key areas needed for their portfolio. The trinket box project includes using hand tools and machinery to produce a small box. Students will develop their researching and designing skills to produce a nature inspired product and must use the project to complete a small portfolio of work. This is in preparation for their portfolio.

Spring Term

Portfolio project 1 – Memphis clock

Students will begin their Coursework portfolio with their first extended project. Students must research, design, model and produce a final outcome based on the project title ‘Memphis clock’. As well as a final outcome students must produce a portfolio of support work that shows the journey taken to the final outcome. This must include observational drawings, written analysis’ and photographic evidence of product production.

Summer Term

Portfolio project 2 – Architecture

Students will begin their second extended portfolio project with the title ‘Architecture’ where they must research, design, digitally model and produce a physical model. As well as a final outcome students must produce a portfolio of support work that shows the journey taken to the final outcome. This must include observational drawings, written analysis’ and photographic evidence of product production.

This project will continue into year 11.

Year 10 - Food & Nutrition

Food Preparation & Nutrition – Year 10

Food Preparation & Nutrition in year 10 will focus primarily on GCSE content and the 5 knowledge sections: Nutrition, Food Science, Food Choice, Food Safety and Food Provenance. Through a combination of written theory and practical cooking these topics will be covered over year 10 in preparation for the Food investigation tasks in year 11.

Practical cooking – As well as theory knowledge, students must practice and improve their general cooking skills, be able to explore/investigate ingredients and dishes and plan their cooking effectively. Students will continue to improve on their sensory analysis using a variety of methods to analyse and evaluate taste combinations including food investigations and written reports.

Autumn Term

Nutrition & Science

Year 10 students will begin a new theory topic combining the topics nutrition, diet and health with food science. Students will learn about the key macronutrients: proteins, fats and carbohydrates as well as other areas such as raising agents, cooking methods and micronutrients. All dishes will directly inform or relate to theory work covered. As well as improving cooking skills students will also be introduced to food investigations and analysing the functional and chemical properties of food in preparation for their NEA coursework.

Spring Term

Nutrition & Science

Students will continue with their project on Nutrition, diet and health and Food science.

Summer Term

Food provenance & Food choice

Students will begin to learn about the final two theory topics, food provenance and food choice.

Practical cooking skills

Alongside their theory students will be introduced to some key high level cooking skills in preparation for their NEA 2 coursework. As well as learning core skills students will receive practice in completing investigations and written analyses.

Year 11 - 3D Design

3D Design – Year 11

In year 11 students will continue to work on their GCSE coursework by adding to their portfolio through extended design based projects.

Autumn term

Students will have started their second extended project the previous year. The first term will be dedicated to independent study and development of a project completing a final outcome and adding to their portfolio.

Spring term

Students will receive a design brief from the AQA design board for their end of year exam and will begin their design journey in preparation. Through research, design, testing and making they will create a portfolio of evidence to show the project developments.

Summer term

The exam project will be developed further and lead the students into their exam where they will receive an extended time period to finalise their project.

Exam details:

Component 1 (Portfolio) – 60%

Component 2 (Exam) – 40%

Year 11 - Food & Nutrition

Food Preparation & Nutrition – Year 11

Autumn term 1

The first half of Autumn term will see students introduced to component 1 which focuses on investigation into ingredients/foods. Students will work to discover the properties of their chosen foods and how they work. They will do this through repeated experiments and written evaluation. The outcome for this component will be a written report evidencing the investigation outcome.

Autumn term 2

Component 2 will begin during this half term. Students will work to plan a 3 course meal around a theme or brief with consideration to ingredients, food choice and nutrition. Evidence must be provided of ingredients testing and planning through a digital portfolio showing the journey.

Spring term 1

Component 2 will continue finalising planning for a 3 course meal. This will be cooked over a 3 hour period and evidenced in their portfolio.

Spring term 2

Students will continue with their theory knowledge in preparation for their written exam revisiting core topics such as Nutrition, Food Science, Food Choice, Food Provenance and Food Safety.

Summer term

In the time leading up to exams week students will be revisiting the 5 core topics in preparation for the 2 hour written exam.

Exam details

NEA – 50%

Task 1 – Food investigation
Task 2 – Food preparation

Exam – 50%

Enrichment/Extracurricular

Students can access a range of additional resources through both google classroom and the student site to help develop their own emerging interest in Design & Technology, Textiles and Food technology.

In addition, period 7 options offer a range of extra curricular activities such as Model club, culinary skills and knitting and crochet (options for period 7 change throughout the year).

During the summer term the Rotary Technology company offers the chance for students across the area to come together and compete in a design competition. Students in groups of 4 can enter and work on the set design challenge.