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Design & Technology

Mrs Langridge - Subject Leader of D&T, Nutrition and Cooking   
Mr Stephenson - DT    
Miss Witham - DT  
Miss Roberts - DT 

Design and Technology Curriculum Intent
  • Design and Technology Y7 & 8
  • Design and Technology Foundation Year 9
  • GCSE Design and Technology
  • A Level Design and Technology: Product Design
  • A Level Design and Technology: Fashion & Textiles

Design and Technology Y7 & 8

Design and Technology in Year 7 and 8 gives students the opportunity to merge creativity and imagination with a range of practical workshop skills.

Students design and make a range of products that consider their own and others’ needs, wants and values. As students' progress through the year, they acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on learning from across the curriculum including maths and science, merging these key skills with principles of good design to develop their own design and make projects.

Reaching the end of KS3, students are expected to confidently demonstrate that they are resourceful thinkers with the ability to effectively manage risk and solve complex design problems.

Design & Technology: Foundation Year

Having opted to further their study in Design & Technology, students now focus on the development of disciplinary literacy, specialist subject knowledge and technical skills.

As the year progresses students become increasingly independent in their design choices, deploying effective research skills to investigate problems and draw conclusions.

Students learn how to interpret working drawings, write their own product specifications and develop unique and challenging products which are made with accuracy and demanding technical skills.

Design & Technology Year 10 &11

Now students have developed the academic and practical skills to problem-solve like a designer, they begin to master more complex design concepts such as inclusive design and the development of products which combine multiple disciplines such as electronic design solutions and multi-user products. Students continue to build on disciplinary literacy from the foundation year as they venture into rapid prototyping, and specialist processes.

In year 11, students complete the NEA task which contributes towards 50% of their final GCSE grade. The NEA is a design and make task centered around a design context issued by the AQA exam board. Students will complete this in their usual Design and Technology lessons.

Year 12 & 13

Students who continue to student Design & Technology at A Level can chose to specialise in either Product Design or Fashion & Textiles.

Both disciplines offer excellent progression opportunities to university education or higher level apprentices and training.

Design & Technology: Product Design

Product design is a subject grounded by the principles of excellent design. Students use their GCSE learning of Design and Technology to further explore scope of the design industry and learn how to sythesise a wide range of knowledge and technical skill, designing products that address the needs and wants of a wide range of users.

Students consider the environmental and ethical issues surrounding product design and consider how they can become champions of positive change as they influence the world around them.

Students will work with a variety of mediums including wood, metal, polymers, and processes including rapid prototyping, joinery, casting and CNC machining. Students are encouraged to pursue their own preferred working mediums and styles.

In Year 13, students complete the NEA task which contributes towards 50% of their final A Level grade. The NEA is a design and make task centered around a design context issued by the AQA exam board. Students will complete this in their usual Design and Technology lessons, supported by independent study.

Design & Technology: Fashion & Textiles

Fashion and Textiles focuses on the principles of excellent design in the fashion industry. As Students explore fashion movements and time periods such as punk, pop art and 1950’s fashion they become increasingly aware of the cyclical nature of popular culture and call upon these influences to design and make their own design concepts.

The subject merges the technical skill of textiles education with the artistic tendencies of fashion design and students who want to be able to design and make their own challenging garments and textile ranges would be well suited to this subject.

Students will work with a range of fabrics and become competent in a range of technical skills including surface decoration, making toiles, and adapting patterns.

Students consider the environmental and ethical issues surrounding textiles production and fashion design and consider how they can become champions of positive change as they influence the world around them.

In Year 13, students complete the NEA task which contributes towards 50% of their final A Level grade. The NEA is a design and make task centered around a design context issued by the AQA exam board. Students will complete this in their usual Design and Technology lessons, supported by independent study.

 

Design Technology Overviews & Disciplinary Literacy Framework