Design and Technology

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Design and Technology develops pupils’ skills through working with a range of materials and components to make products. These include Food, Electronics, Graphics, Textiles, and Resistant Materials (different types of wood, metal and plastic). Whilst making these products they use computer skills including CNC and a range of tools and machines to realise their own designs. Pupils also develop their skills in design and analysis and evaluate other products and processes. Work is project based with most of these following the design process. This involves pupils researching and designing their own product before they make it.

Key Stage 3 Projects are reviewed annually for content and success and as a result may be modified or changed, to give the pupils the best possible opportunity to achieve in Design Technology.

Year 7

In Year 7 the pupils have 2 Technology lessons per week;
1 lesson per week - Food or Graphics or Textiles (the pupils
rotate round the subject areas
and will cover all 3 areas) over
the course of a year.
1 lesson per week - Resistant Materials or Electronics (the
pupils will cover both areas over the
course of a year).

In the Year 7 projects, the pupils learn about workshop safety and basic skills in each of the subject areas.

Year 8
In Year 8, the pupils have 2 Technology lessons per week;
1 lesson per week - Food or Graphics or Textiles (the pupils
rotate round the subject areas
and will cover all 3 areas) over
the course of a year

1 lesson per week - Resistant Materials or Electronics
(the pupils will cover both
areas over the course of a year)

In the Year 8 projects, the pupils build upon and extend the skills learned in Year 7 to make more complex products.

Year 9

In Year 9, the pupils have 2 Technology lessons per week. The pupils have a choice of working in 2 of the following areas:

· Food
· Resistant Materials
· Electronics
· Graphics
· Textiles

The pupils work in each of the two chosen areas for 1 term, after Easter the pupils make a choice for their GCSE option choice in Technology and we try to accommodate the pupils by placing them in their chosen option choice for the last term of Year 9.

Assessment

Assessment is project based (the pupils designing and making skills are both assessed) and pupils will receive a level in line with the National Curriculum attainment targets for the work they do for each project. Details of what is needed to achieve these levels are given on project cover sheets.

As a guide most pupils should achieve:
Level 3/4 by the end of Year 7
Level 4/5 by the end of Year 8
Level 5/6 by the end of Year 9