Design & Technology

Students complete the following activities

Year 7:

Acrylic Desk Tidy

Students’ brief is that they have been approached by a manufacturer to produce a range of designs and a prototype for a new desk tidy for a teenager’s bedroom that can be mass produced. The desk tidy must be functional in use and be able to hold a range of different stationery. The company has requested that the desk tidy be manufactured from acrylic and must be eye-catching, attractive and have a suitable theme.

Students will be introduced to safe workshop practice through traditional manufacturing and finishing skills using tools and machinery in the school workshop.

Technology Skills

Students will experience a range of technology-based activities to introduce them to the subject, this will include, ideas generation, presentation skills, photoshop, CAD software. During this unit students will also be introduced to smart materials, structures, electronics, and the use of BBC Micro-bits.

Food Curriculum

In Year 7, students will primarily learn through practical experiences, focusing on safe and hygienic food handling. They will engage in various cooking activities to practice skills such as knife handling and cooker use.

As they explore food provenance and seasonality, students will develop a variety of techniques and master different cooking methods. They will also study government guidelines for healthy eating. Throughout the course, students will evaluate their dishes based on appearance, smell, taste, and texture, fostering a comprehensive understanding of food preparation and nutrition.

Year 8:

Mood Lamp

Students’ brief is that they have been approached to design and make a mood lamp, to offer an ambient light to a room. The lamp must be made with a high degree of accuracy and finish to ensure the product is of high-quality, allowing for sale ability and a long working life. The design must house the electronics and have easy access to the switch. The lamp should use Acrylic to diffuse the light. All the manufacturing must use tools and machinery in the school workshop.

Pop-up cards

Students will develop further knowledge of a design process by analysing a design brief to manufacture a pop-up card. They will be introduced to iterative design process to come up with a quality design for the pop-up element. There will also be a focus on presentation and evaluation skills.

Food Curriculum

In the Year 8 Food Curriculum, students participate in a variety of practical cooking activities aimed at developing their culinary skills and deepening their understanding of healthy eating. They will learn through a mixture of theory and practical-based learning, exploring key concepts such as balanced diets, the Eatwell Guide, key nutrients, and how to meet the nutritional needs of people at different life stages.

By applying these concepts in the kitchen, students gain hands-on experience that prepares them for more advanced food studies in KS4 and equips them with the knowledge to make informed food choices in everyday life.

Year 9:

Engineered clock

Students will design, model, and manufacture an engineered lamp, to introduce them to skills in engineering processes, techniques, and equipment. Students will demonstrate accuracy in testing and modelling, as well as skills in using engineering equipment to produce a quality engineered clock to set parameters.

Packaging

Students will look at iterative design and build on the skills developed in previous years. They will design and manufacture a piece of packaging for a specific product and target market, including consumer information and branding. The project is designed to consolidate the students understanding of an iterative design approach, via designing, modelling as well as Photoshop, CAD skills.

Food Curriculum

In the Year 9 Food Curriculum, students enhance their culinary skills by focusing on more advanced food preparation, presentation and safe handling techniques in a Catering environment. The curriculum emphasises practical cooking, focusing on creating nutritionally balanced meals and exploring cuisines from a multicultural society. Students also develop an understanding of food allergies, intolerances, and how to adapt recipes to suit various dietary needs.

In addition to cooking, the course encourages ethical and sustainable food choices by exploring food provenance, reducing food waste, and addressing global food security issues. This comprehensive approach helps students make informed decisions about food and its impact on health, society, and the environment. It provides students with the knowledge and understanding necessary to prepare them for the KS4 Food Curriculum, building a strong foundation for further study.

KS4 Design and Technology – Product Design

Product Design is concerned not only with how objects are designed, but also with improving the way in which they operate. It is a subject that has multiple and varied everyday applications, covering the design of anything from a butterknife to a game’s controller.

Students will look at the theory of Product Design via a variety of modelling projects, for example designing and producing a Storage system. Within this, they will use CAD/CAM technology in the form of “Techsoft 2D Design and Onshape” software. They then continue to build upon their skills in developing 2D designs that can be realised in three dimensions.

Following on from this, the students concentrate on the Non-Examined Assessment element – “Designing and Making a Product”. The product concerned may be chosen from several set themes.

GCSE Product Design is assessed through 50% Non-Examined Assessment and 50% Written Examination.

Pearson Edexcel GCSE Design and Technology

Students can progress onto the A-Level Product Design courses in the Sixth Form or use this GCSE as a first step towards a career in Architecture, Product Design or Engineering. Pearson Edexcel GCSE Design and Technology

KS4 Engineering

The WJEC Level 1 / 2 Vocational Award in Engineering provides an engaging, robust, broad-based introduction to engineering. It provides knowledge, understanding and practical skills that reflect the needs of employers and higher and further education professionals. It presents knowledge, skills and understanding in a work-related context, to allow learners to understand theory and application. 
There are three Units that students take to strengthen the knowledge and skills valued in the engineering sector. One unit focuses on essential knowledge, and the other two unit focuses on applying essential vocational skills. 
 
Unit 1 – Manufacturing engineering products (40%)- Plan and manufacture a set product from the exam board to specific tolerances (Internally assessed, externally moderated). 
Unit 2 – Designing engineering products (20%) - Analysing and redesigning an existing product (Internally assessed, externally moderated). 
Unit 3 Solving Engineering Problems (40%)- Exam (Externally assessed). 
 
WJEC Engineering Level 1 / 2 Vocational Award 

WJEC Qualifications

KS4 Food

Food is a subject for life. We teach the underlying principles and skills to live a healthy life. We embrace current nutritional thinking and up-to-date practices. We utilise a lot of practical sessions and our pupils develop high-level culinary skills. We incorporate as many learning experiences as possible, delivered in a variety of styles including the frequent use of sensory testing.

KS4 EDUQAS Food Preparation and Nutrition at GCSE

The GCSE course covers the following topics:

Principles of Nutrition, Diet and Good Health, The Science of Cooking Food, Food Spoilage, Food Provenance and Food Waste, Cultures and Cuisines, Technological Developments, Factors Affecting Food Choice

The course is 50% examination and 50% NEA (non-examined assessment).

Students will undertake two NEA tasks, one in December which is a Food based investigation (15%) set by the exam board at the beginning of the year and one in March.

The second NEA (35%) is a practical assessment, again based on an exam board task set during the Autumn term, this will involve the students in research, trialling, planning, preparing and cooking dishes and evaluating their work. The final examination is sat in the Summer Term. Studying this subject provides essential life skills and knowledge but also opens pathways for many career opportunities.

How will this be graded? This is a GCSE so will follow the grading 1-9.

Progression: This course offers progression to Level 3 qualifications and is an excellent starting point for students interested in further study or a career in the catering industry.

The course specification can be found below:

Food Preparation and Nutrition

Hospitality & Catering WJEC Level 1 /2 Award

Unit 1 – The Hospitality and Catering Industry (40%)

Students will need to gain knowledge of all parts of the industry and be able to propose new hospitality and catering provision for a particular location.  They should be able to identify different types of establishments and job roles to determine the best option.

Unit 2 – The Food Preparation Assessment (60%)

This unit is based around a given brief in which students will need to complete all the Assessment Criteria: this will form their coursework, along with a practical assessment.  Students will use knowledge gained over the course to carry out preparation, cooking and present nutritional dishes.

How will this be graded? The grade scale is L1 Pass, L2 Pass, L2 Merit, L2 Distinction, L2 Distinction*

This course offers progression to Level 3 qualifications and is an excellent starting point for students interested in further study or a career in the catering industry.

For more details, click below

Hospitality and Catering

A-Level Product Design

Awarding Body Pearson Edexcel

Course requirements 
5 GCSEs at grade 5 or above, which must include: GCSE Design & Technology Grade 5 or Art and Design Grade 6
It must be stressed that the nature of the work at A-Level is quite different from GCSE.  Students will need a flair for the subject and the ability to sketch ideas quickly.  The pace of work is significantly greater than at GCSE and the depth and range of theory is much more comprehensive and demanding.

Course Description
Two equally weighted units at A Level: One internal and one external unit

Coursework project is undertaken in year 13, this is a client based design and make project.  The Edexcel A-Level in Design and Technology has been designed to provide opportunities for students to develop their creativity, capability and entrepreneurial skills, to apply knowledge and understanding to a range of technological activities and to develop critical thinking and collaborative skills.  In particular, the aims of this qualification in Design and Technology allow students to:

• Develop and sustain innovation, creativity and design and technology.
• Develop the capability to recognise constraints and to produce high-quality products.
• Develop critical understanding of the influences of the processes and products of design and technological activity, from a historical perspective, and in current practice.
• Apply essential knowledge, understanding and skills of design production processes to arrange of technological activities, and develop an understanding of industrial practices.
• Use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to enhance their design and technological capability via the use of CAD/CAM.
• Recognise the social, moral, spiritual and cultural values inherent in design and technological activity and develop critical evaluation skills in technical, aesthetic, ethical, economic, environmental, social and cultural contexts.
• Develop as discerning consumers able to make informed choices.
• Develop positive attitudes of co-operation including working collaboratively.

Progression
Many students progress through to Art College and onto a Design Degree; some use Product Design as a steppingstone into all areas of Engineering and Graphic Design.  This could include furniture, interior, product, graphic and theatre design.

Qualifications