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Design Technology

Curriculum Overview

Vision

To help students flourish in an ever-changing technological world.

Design and technology gives young people the skills and abilities to engage positively with the designed and made world and to harness the benefits of technology. They learn how products and systems are designed and manufactured, how to be innovative and to make creative use of a variety of resources including digital technologies, to improve the world around them.

Disciplinary Concepts

  • Have a critical understanding of D&Ts impact on daily life and the wider world

  • Use creativity and imagination to solve real and relevant problems

  • Draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art

  • Use relevant research which helps guide the design process

  • Engage in an iterative process of designing and making

  • Not be afraid to take risks, prototype, fail, draw conclusions and improve designs.

 

Curriculum Map

Year 7

Students join us from a large number of feeder primaries and have therefore studied varying amounts of Design and Technology depending on their primary school facilities. The Year 7 curriculum allows all pupils to explore a wide range of subjects available within Design Technology and has been designed to provide knowledge and understanding of materials and processes. This foundation will be built upon in Year 8 and Year 9. Our skills will focus on safe use of tools and equipment, together with developing creativity both in 2D and 3D form.

What will you learn in Year 7 Product Design?

  • Why is research useful in a design project?

  • CAD and CAM

  • How to analyse a product

  • What makes a logo successful

 

Year 8 

The Year 8 curriculum allows all pupils to further develop and explore their knowledge and understanding of materials and processes in all areas of Design and Technology. Our skills will focus on safe use of a wide range of tools, materials and equipment. Students will also continue to develop their creativity through continuous testing and trialling of ideas to develop the best solution to a given problem both in 2D and 3D form. Students will build a deeper understanding of the environmental and ethical effects on design and the production of products. Students will build on knowledge and skills taught in Year 7 to ensure we are scaffolding and enhancing learning. 

What will you learn in Year 8 Product Design?

  • The 3 classifications of woods and timbers

  • The difference between wood use and plastic use

  • Develop understanding of design process

  • Develop research skills

 

Year 9

The Year 9 curriculum allows all pupils to further develop and explore their knowledge and understanding of materials and processes in all areas of Design and Technology which will allow them to consider which option they may be best placed to continue at GCSE if they wish. Our skills will focus on safe use of a wide range of tools, materials and equipment. Students will also continue to develop their creativity through continuous testing and trialling of ideas to develop the best solution to a given problem both in 2D and 3D form. Students will build a deeper understanding of the environmental and ethical effects on design and the production of products. Students will also begin to understand how products are made in industry and why compromises often need to be made in production. In food technology the skills used will be more demanding to build on skills used in previous learning.

What will I learn in Year 9 Product Design?

  • food hygiene and safety

  • bread roll experiment 

  • factors affecting food choice

  • food provenance

  • functions of nutrients

  • excess and deficiency of nutrients

  • enzymic browning

  • food labelling and marketing 

 

Year 10

In the first year of GCSE Product Design students will develop a working knowledge and understanding of a range of materials and their working properties. This will allow students to expand their making skills and vocabulary for them to answer the terminal exam paper and the NEA task. Through specific theory lessons and Homework tasks students will practise exam technique in answering a range of questions on the materials topics to prepare them fully for the terminal examination. Students will be assessed at the end of theory topics.Areas of Content: Technical principles, Designing and making principles, Analysing and evaluating designs, Social and ethical issues in design technology, Identifying and investigating design possibilities • Designing and making prototypes

Autumn Term 

Theory lessons covering a range of materials and topics;

  • working properties and typical uses;

  • New and emerging technologies;

  • Design movements and the work of others;

  • Product evolution;

  • Ergonomics and Anthropometrics;

  • Mechanical systems

 

Spring Term

Theory lessons covering a range of topics;

  • Collaborative design;

  • CAD/CAM;

  • Scales and types of commercial manufacturing;

  • Research and data collecting.

 

Summer Term

Theory lessons covering a range of topics;

  • Sustainability;

  • Moral and ethical issues;

  • Impact of design on society and the environment.

 

Year 11 

Students will complete their NEA securing 50% of their final grade before external moderation. Students will develop an understanding and gain confidence in exam techniques and practise exams skills required for the terminal paper based on their theory and practical knowledge from the last 2 years. 

Autumn Term

NEA – AO1

  • Students explore the design context and research the topic and target market to develop an individual design brief and specification 

NEA – AO2

  • Students generate ideas through sketching and modelling and develop their design proposals through the use of iterative design to produce a final design, working drawings and a manufacturing specification. They realise their proposals by producing a functioning prototype.

Spring Term

NEA – AO2

  • Students generate ideas through sketching and modelling and develop their design proposals through the use of iterative design to produce a final design, working drawings and a manufacturing specification. They realise their proposals by producing a functioning prototype. 

NEA - AO3

  • Students test and evaluate their designs and produce proposals on how their designs could be manufactured commercially

Summer Term

Theory lessons covering a range of topics;

  • What is the correct vocabulary to use in an exam response?

  • How do we plan the answer to a 6 and 8 mark question? 

  • What are command words and how do we use them effectively? 

  • Where can I practise exam technique? 

  • What is key vocabulary? 

  • What is technical vocabulary? 

  • What areas of previous knowledge do I need to revisit?

  • How do I revise?

 

Assessments

Year 7

  • Write a design brief and specification.

  • Evaluate the work of others (Peer feedback)

  • Develop ideas through drawings and models.

  • Learn how to use different CAD software

  • Describe how a product was made.

  • Developing time management skills

  • Develop collaboration skills

 

Year 8

  • Write a design brief and specification.

  • Evaluate the work of others (Peer feedback)

  • Develop ideas through drawings and models.

  • Develop safe making skills in woods and polymers.

  • Describe how a product was made.

  • Develop time management skills

  • Develop collaboration skills

 

Year 9

  • Develop ideas through drawings and models.

  • Develop safe making skills in plastics.

  • Develop a working knowledge of different plastics.

  • Use labelled drawings and notes produce a plan of how the product was made and label the changes made whilst working.

  • Isometric drawing displaying all details of the box.

  • Soldering techniques

 

Year 10

Autumn Term

2 focussed practical tasks developing;

  • hand tool skills,

  • working with accuracy

  • working with precision

Students develop presentation skills;

  • drawing systems;

  • exploring and developing ideas.

 

Spring Term

 2 focussed practical tasks developing;

  • continuation of autumn term projects

  • developing use of CAD

  • developing use of CAM

 

Summer Term

1 focussed practical task developing;

  • design thinking

  • problem solving

  • research skills

NEA - Students explore a design context set by the exam board leading to creating an individual design brief and product.

 

Year 11

Autumn Term

Students will continue their NEA in September which represents 50% of their final grade.

  • Complete research tasks.

  • Comprise a relevant brief within their chosen context

  • Create design ideas

  • Conduct and record appropriate practical investigation activities

  • Conduct and record appropriate testing

 

Spring Term

Students will continue their NEA in January which represents 50% of their final grade. 

  • Create design ideas

  • Conduct and record appropriate practical investigation activities

  • Conduct and record appropriate testing

  • Develop design ideas through analysis and testing

  • Students plan and create their prototype product using a range of materials and processes

  • Students test prototype with client and record results

 

Summer Term

Students will complete a terminal written exam during towards the end of this term which represents 50% of their final grade

  • Produce exemplary answers to exam questions

  • Know how to plan extended answer questions

  • Demonstrate the use of correct technical and key vocabulary within a given question

  • Practise timed exam responses and planning

  • Develop revision methods suitable to aid individual revision needs.