Design Technology
Curriculum
Through a series of projects students focus on the acquisition and development of specific product design skills such as computing, 2D & 3D sketching, workshop skills in wood, metal, & plastics, knowledge of design for manufacture intellectual skills such as semiotics.
Key Stage 3 extends skills and locates students in more professional contexts through given briefs that are in line with the National Curriculum. Here learners get the opportunity to consider and plan their future in design and to take more responsibility for initiating and managing their own work.
The extended Key Stage 4 provides individuals with a broader opportunity to address their own agenda by writing and design exploration. This is a great opportunity for them to bring together the creative, intellectual, entrepreneurial, and practical capacities students have developed in the previous two years and results in a product design outcome which is limited only by the time allocated and your own ambitions.
Homework & Assignments
Year 7 and Year 8 are set one homework per week. These can be found on the Shared Area or are issued in a class setting.
Year 9 GCSE students have the three portfolios to complete, examples of this can be found on www.technologystudent.com
Year 10 are working on the 'Design and Make' element of their GCSE.
Department Staff Members
Mr B Barnett — Head of D and T — teaches Resistant Materials and Graphics from Year 7 — 11.
Supported by Mr B Miles
Main areas of subjects taught:
Yr 7 — Clocks — working with plastics
Term One builds students subject knowledge and skills while introducing them to our brand of workshop practices and integrates them within our community of design. Through a series of design stages they will go on to focus on a specific product ‘The clock’, using design skills such as computing, 2D and 3D sketching, and workshop skills in plastics. Students also build knowledge of design for manufacture, and intellectual skills in areas like portfolio and presentation techniques. The term finishes with a final product supported by a structured A3 folder.
Yr 7 — Puzzle Project – Working with woodTerm Two extends students' skills and locates you in professional contexts through external briefs provided. Here students get the opportunity to consider and plan their future as a practitioner and take more responsibility for initiating and managing their own work. They will be exploring the relationships between branding and product design, and how ideas from outside of the discipline can be used to explore and inform creative design responses.
Yr 7 - Toy Project - Wood & Plastics
Term Three provides you with a sustained opportunity to pursue your own agenda with support, through writing and design exploration. This is your chance to bring together creative, intellectual, entrepreneurial and practical capacities developed over the previous two terms to forge a product design outcome limited only by the time allocated and your own ambition. The final term closes with a real-world scenario in which you work in groups to deliver a specific project.
Yr 8 — Storage Project – working with natural and manmade timbers.The Storage Project brings together students from across the school to work in mixed groups. The unit promotes critical thinking through the presentation of ideas, debate and discussion, and requires you to consider your subject in a wider context and to position your practice within the ‘bigger picture’ of cultural production and meaning making.
Yr 8 – Book End Project – wood Joint fabrication, finishing and evaluatingThis is a six week project which extends students making skills and includes final preparation for Year 9. A smaller more focused portfolio is produced in conjunction with the final product. During the six weeks a baseline test is carried out to assess the theory knowledge of students who have completed KS3 technology.
Yr 9 — Outdoor/Garden Product DesignStudents will select an outdoor project to complete. They will make a product considering environmental factors and an A3 folder will be completed under guidance. Manufacturing, evaluation and testing will be the focus during the introduction tern of KS4. A GCSE style theory test is completed when the project is finished.
Yr 9 – Lighting Project – this combines product and electronic development.
Students use this topic to demonstrate they are ready for the challenge of GCSE. This unit is treated as a GCSE first draft in terms of format and quality of work. A detailed portfolio and working prototype will be required on completion, showing a range of materials and manufacturing methods.
Results GCSE 2012 94% Passed
Key Stage 4 Focuses on the following areas to aid the further development of our young designers.
The GCSE course has three closely interrelated areas of study that are delivered through project work, theory lessons and assignments. Areas of study are:
· Design Studies
· Technical Studies
· Contextual Studies
Design Studies
The ability to generate and translate ideas into resolved designs is crucial. Design Studies develops students' creativity with idea generation, problem solving, drawing and presentation technique, sketching and finished model making. It also helps build the project management and verbal presentation skills they will need in order to develop and communicate their designs.
Technical Studies
Technical Studies enables students to gain an understanding of materials and processes, manufacturing methods, and 2D and 3D CAD skills within industrial contexts of batch and mass production. It develops the ability to research and specify components, materials and manufacturing processes for any product design project.
Contextual Studies
Contextual Studies examines some of the key historical, theoretical, and social contexts from which products acquire meaning and in which product design practice operates. Crucially in our programme it’s taught in-class alongside Design Studies to allow ideas and thinking from radically different disciplines to inform and energise.
Useful Websites and other Resourceswww.technologystudent.com
www.flying-pig.co.uk