Design and Technology

In Design and Technology, we work hard to ensure the progression of all students, lessons are expertly planned to enable students to achieve their potential regardless of, disadvantage, SEND or, higher achievers. It is inclusively delivered with high expectations giving clear aspiration and removing barriers. Students are able to recognise the significance of Design and Technology in their daily lives.

We build on the Key concepts from KS2 and increase complexity of both theory and practical work over Key Stages.

The departments curriculum has been designed to develop a student’s ability to design, make and evaluate which are the key principles of the new Design Technology specifications alongside theory. The subject has been founded on a deep, broad and balanced curriculum with extensive opportunities to showcase work and develop through extracurricular activities.

Design and Technology gives students the chance to develop their knowledge, and confidence.

To work independently and analytically with enthusiasm in a broad range of disciplines.

Students will be able to articulate their hard work and progress.

Design awareness is the understanding that all of the items or products we interactive with on a daily basis are designed by humans, for humans for a reason. All students should be made aware that Design, Development and realisation provide products or systems for human wants and requirements. Students need to know that design is there to develop and improve the quality of comfort, transport, physical needs, communication, health as well as for aesthetic reasons.

Real world problems are used to develop the students understanding of the huge, life-changing role and impact a designer can have:

• A knowledge of some important design movements and designers and their origins from culture and how this has impacted society and fashion
• Knowledge of materials, their origins, strengths and weaknesses, in subject specific areas to help develop outcomes that are more realistic and commercially viable drawing in knowledge from Physics and Chemistry
• A good understanding of how environmental considerations can impact design decisions, positively and negatively
• Sustainability in materials and power relating to Geography and Physics and a cross curriculum
• Understanding of ergonomics and anthropometrics and how design affects lives of all people regardless of their needs and situations

All students should be able to apply the iterative design process to provide solutions to given problems they are faced with in society and through their project development, allowing them to develop the ability to argue, justify and present with confidence and clarity. Students will learn to discuss, experiment, evaluate, discuss, experiment (and repeat) which equals an iterative design process

We offer subject specific enrichment after school. STEM specialists, practitioners, to inspire and motivate. Competitions take place accessible to all, furthermore some competitions target specific groups, this will enable students to apply extra-curricular gained knowledge to timetabled lessons or for use as standalone skills-based learning

Graphics runs through all disciplines in Technology as a way of building technical drawing skills in preparation for KS4. Students will learn appropriate technical drawing skills to enable them to better communicate design ideas. Improving presentation skills, these skills will then be applied to a variety of typography and drawing projects.

Students learn single point, two-point perspective, and isometric drawing. Throughout year 7, 8 ad 9 students will increase complexity of the drawing techniques to apply them to more challenging design tasks. This gives students the opportunity to learn presentation and communication skills.

• research designer or company / research and analyse existing products​
• Create a range of Initial Design Ideas​ and design development
• Develop 2D and 3D Drawing and Rendering techniques
• Working to a design brief and Identifying your target markets to develop an appropriate theme through design concepts
• Select appropriate resources, materials and other visual information suitable for the task
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of techniques and processes when designing.  Identify which design ideas are most appropriate when creating your packaging
• Compare your outcomes with those of others and justify/analyse your choices
• Produce a final annotated design that effectively shows some unique and creative concepts
• Recognise areas of success and identify areas to improve
• Ensure that work is refined and reflect on your technique and outcomes

All students should be able to present work using a combination of technical drawing techniques and rendering.

The department’s Food and Nutrition curriculum has been designed to equip students with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to cook and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating. It encourages students to cook as well as develop vital life skills that enable them to feed themselves and others affordably and nutritiously later in life. Recognising that Longton is an area of deprivation we work with families to better equip them to access the Food and Nutrition lessons, providing ingredients in year 7 as a way to remove any barriers to learning. We also celebrate the areas rich Cultural Diversity in the practical’s we deliver.

We aim to develop our students’ curiosity and understanding of the world around them through the food they eat. Practical aspects of the curriculum aim to develop our students’ skills and confidence in the kitchen. They find out how to use equipment safely and appropriately and how to select ingredients according to their specific characteristics and uses.

Students are also challenged to think about their social and environmental responsibilities, linked to the origin, production, use, disposal and wastage of food and other natural resources.

Real world problems are used to develop the students understanding of the huge, life-changing role and impact food can have:

• A knowledge of nutrients
• Knowledge of ingredients, their origins, working characteristics, how ingredients are affected by heat, drawing on Chemistry knowledge
• A good understanding of how environmental considerations can impact food decisions, positively and negatively
• Sustainability in ingredients and energy relating to Geography and Chemistry
• Understanding of healthy eating and how food choices affects lives of all people regardless of their needs and situations

All students should be to provide solutions to given problems they are faced with in society and through their food choices, allowing them to develop the ability to argue, justify and present with confidence and clarity. Students will learn to discuss, experiment, evaluate, discuss, experiment (and repeat) which enables them to reach successful outcomes.

In year 7 we focus on key skills and getting all students up to speed regardless of background in the subject area. We focus on Health and Safety, the theory of how to design a product and how their work and the subject link into a real world allowing them to produce commercially viable products. They are assessed on their accuracy, quality and ability to produce a set batch design that they then develop into a one-off production through pushing the skills they have learnt.

Year 8 focuses more on the design of the product, pushing creativity and how they get to a final outcome. They will work through target markets to check the suitability of products including anthropometric data to then produce a range of designs that are well developed before improving on their practical skills in the workshop. This is supported in their second project that introduces them to Computer Aided Design and new software that allows them to produce product virtually.

Year 9 challenges students to put all of their skills into practice and design a product using a limited amount of material linking in with sustainability and is assessed against a varied success criterion. They will then develop their working skills on the computer by looking at Computer Aided Manufacturing and introducing an electronic component to their practical work.

KS3 Textiles focuses on improving confidence with Design tasks and building key practical skills.  Pupils will learn hand sewing and machine sewing techniques, fabric manipulation and surface pattern techniques. We also address issues of sustainability and the environment as well as specific materials knowledge, analysis and evaluation skills.

Pupils work through the processes of different practical’s each year that builds both practical and Design skills ready for GCSE. This includes;

In year 7 students design and create a Kantha embroidery inspired bookmark. They learn hand and machine sewing techniques, their origins, uses and how this links to the wider world. They look at issues surrounding recycling and sustainability. Students learn about tie dyeing and understanding resist dyeing.

In year 8 students build on previously learned techniques to research, design and manufacture a monster toy. Processes include pattern creation and cutting, applique, design, evaluation and recording production processes.

In year 9 students look at trends, they improve their pattern cutting and adaptation to manufacture a bucket hat. Key evaluation and recording skills linking to target markets and what makes a successful product. Each year students will make a commercially viable product which builds in complexity.

In year 7 we follow an introductory unit looking at basic food preparation skills; health and safety in food preparation and nutrients. We complete a range of practicals designed to either introduce or practise basic food preparation skills safely. We discuss the working characteristics of the ingredients; why they are used; how they are affected by heat; how they work together and their nutritional value. The practical’s include: Fruit Salad; Bread Buns, Leek and Potato Soup and Fruit Crumble.

In year 8 we focus on healthy eating and developing food preparation skills including the safe storage of food. We complete a range of practicals designed to either introduce or develop food preparation skills safely. Students have more freedom with their choice of ingredients. We discuss the working characteristics of the ingredients; why they are used; how they are affected by heat; how they work together; making choices about ingredients to modify or improve practical outcomes both sensory and/or nutritionally. The practicals include: Pasta Salad; Pizza, Chilli and Fruit Muffins.

In year 9 we focus on food preparation skills looking at food provenance through international cuisines and food processing. We look at food labelling to enable students to make informed choices when buying and consuming food. We look at the importance of getting energy balance as part of healthy eating. We complete a range of practicals designed to either introduce or practise food preparation skills safely. Students have more freedom with their choice of ingredients for practicals. We discuss the working characteristics of the ingredients; why they are used; how they are affected by heat; how they work together; making choices about ingredients to modify or improve practical outcomes both sensory and/or nutritionally. The practical’s include: Bolognese, Risotto; Chicken Curry and Sweet and Sour Chicken.

Students will learn how to take design risks, helping them to become resourceful, innovative and enterprising citizens. They will develop an awareness of practices from the creative, engineering and manufacturing industries. Through the critique of the outcomes of design and technology activity, both historic and present day, students will develop an understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world and understand that high-quality design and technology is important to the global community.

The study of design and technology seeks to prepare students to participate confidently and successfully in an increasingly world. GCSE design and technology specifications enables students to work creatively when designing, and apply technical and practical expertise. In addition to the core content Textiles student learn fabric shaping techniques, pattern cutting, draping and Fashion illustration. They will also look at types of fabric and its properties.

This subject has strong links with Maths and Science and pushes creativity and design.

Include information about teaching and learning in your subject area, how you support SEND learners, how you support literacy and numeracy in your subject, opportunities to support learning outside of the classroom.

• Excellent teaching delivered by teachers with a deep knowledge of their subject
• High expectations at all times and a belief that all students can meet those expectations (taking the ceiling off topics and lessons)
• Appropriate and tailored support for students on the SEND registers
• Develop students’ key skills of teamwork, leadership, listening, presenting, creativity and problem-solving across the curriculum
• An emphasis on the increase of Oracy across all areas of the curriculum to evaluate, analyse and support their design decisions
• An opportunity for all to access the cultural capital this provides
• Using latest technologies and strategies as teaching tools to improve the learning for the student both at school and when they are learning at home
• A flexible curriculum which allows students to follow their talent and interests as well as providing extra support and challenge, emphasised at KS4 and developed further at KS5
• Coordination between subjects so that students have rich opportunities to draw on knowledge and skills from across the curriculum within each subject
• Data and a personal knowledge of the student used to produce lessons that will stimulate and engage them enabling students across the academic spectrum to be challenged and stretched
• Assessment strategically planned into schemes of work enabling teachers to give high quality feedback to students and parents and using the student/parent/school partnership to support the development of the student
• An extracurricular offer including KMF Young Engineers of the Year, which provides a huge range of opportunities developing the character and personal well-being of students
• Students encouraged to be truly independent learners
• The curriculum is regularly evaluated in order to ensure that it meets the needs of our learners’ development
• Our curriculum is built around problem-based learning. Students are grouped in years 7 & 8 and taught to provide solutions amicably and realistically. In year 7 they are taught to generate initial group solutions which are then further developed on an individual basis

Specification- AQA Design and Technology

The new GCSEs in design and technology will not be tiered. 50% of total marks will be allocated to exams, and 50% to non-exam assessment (coursework). This course is worth a full GCSE with a grade from 1-9. Grade 9 being the top grade.

The course work and exam will assess: Theory of manufacturing, design and creativity and making a commercially viable product.

Food and Cookery is an exciting Technical Award which is designed to offer an interesting and stimulating programme of study. Students will be equipped with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to cook and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating. Students will be encouraged to cook with a wide range of skills and be able to make informed decisions about a wide range of further learning opportunities and career pathways as well as develop vital life skills that will enable them to feed themselves and others affordably and nutritiously, now and later in life.

• Excellent teaching delivered by teachers with a deep knowledge of their subject
• High expectations at all times and a belief that all students can meet those expectations, encouraging students to work independently but to support others when needed
• Appropriate and tailored support for students on the SEND registers including enabling all students to access the practical activities of the curriculum
• Develop students key skills of teamwork, leadership, listening, presenting, creativity and problem-solving across the subject both in theory lessons and practical activities
• An emphasis on the increase of oracy across all areas of the curriculum to evaluate, analyse and support their design decisions
• An opportunity for all to access the cultural capital this provides
• Using latest technologies and strategies as teaching tools to improve the learning for the student both at school and when they are learning at home
• A flexible curriculum which allows students to follow their talent and interests as well as providing extra support and challenge, developed at KS4
• Coordination with subjects such as PE, Science, Geography and also PSHE so that students have rich opportunities to draw on knowledge and skills from across the curriculum within the subject
• Data and a personal knowledge of the student used to produce lessons that will stimulate and engage them enabling students across the academic spectrum to be challenged and stretched
• Assessment strategically planned into schemes of work enabling teachers to give high quality feedback to students and parents and using the student/parent/school partnership to support the development of the student
• Students encouraged to be truly independent learners
• The curriculum is regularly evaluated in order to ensure that it meets the needs of our learners’ development

We follow the specification from NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Food and Cookery. This course is split into two areas:

• Examined assessment (EA) – Written paper (Exam) 40% of the total marks awarded
• Non Examined Assessment (NEA) – Non-exam assessment including practical work. The non-exam assessment consists of four tasks set and completed in year 11. 60% of the total marks awarded

Product Design/Textiles.

https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/design-and-technology/gcse/design-and-technology-8552

For more information or if you have any questions please use the contact details below.

Mrs M Stace – mstace@stmca.org.uk