Design and Technology

Aims

Design and Technology offers opportunities for pupils to:

• Develop their designing and making skills
• Develop their knowledge and understanding of materials and components, systems and control and structures
• Develop their capability, through combining their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding to design and make products, nurture creativity and innovation through designing and making
• Explore values about and attitudes towards the made world and how we live, work and interact within it to develop a critical understanding of technological processes, products and their manufacture, and how they contribute to our society
• Prepare for a contribution to life and work in a technical society, relate and apply knowledge and understanding from across the curriculum

Key Stage 3

Year 7 pupils develop foundation skills in both practical and design areas. The projects increase in complexity in Years 8 and 9. Pupils are encouraged to be involved in their own learning. A project-based design-and-make approach is used, with each project addressing a different area of technology. The projects are designed to develop new skills and knowledge in an interesting and stimulating manner.

GCSE

This course requires pupils to develop their understanding of design. It combines practical and technological skills with creative thinking, to design-and-make real products. The aim of the subject is to develop creative thinking and problem solving skills through the design process. Pupils will spend Year 10 developing their skills, knowledge and understanding of the subject. In Year 11 pupils will complete a 45 hour design-and0make coursework talks (Controlled Assessment) which accounts for 60% of the final grade. The final element of the course is a 2-hour examination.

AS and A Level

A Level pupils studying Design and Technology follow the Edexcel Product Design course. Pupils develop an in-depth understanding of Materials, Industrial and Commercial Practice, Health and Safety, Systems and Control, Design in Context and Sustainability. The course also contains a coursework element which accounts for 60% of the AS and A2 marks. The coursework for AS pupils involves producing a portfolio of design work and a practical piece, “Creative Skills”. A2 pupils produce a design folder and practical work which showcases their commercial designs as if they were presenting to a client.

Facilities

The DT room is a purpose-built and dedicated 136sqm Design and Technology workshop. The workshop is set up as a multi-materials room with CAM facilities. Other facilities include a small computers’ network CAD, coursework and other design work.

Extra-curricular

Visits are organised to the UK car plants Morgan & Jaguar for GCSE and A Level pupils. Other factory and local company visits are arranged for A Level pupils. Lunchtime activities include a kit club for Key Stage 3 and an open workshop for Key Stage 4 / GCSE / A Level.

Staffing

• Mr R J Chambers BA with QTS  Trinity & All Saints, Leeds (Head of Department)
• Mr M Kirby BEd, Leeds