Design and technology

Learning Journeys

Textiles - KS3  KS4

Resistant Materials - KS3  KS4

Food & Nutrition - KS3  KS4

Product Design - Graphics - KS3  KS4

 

Objectives in design and technology

In year 7:

Students are introduced to a range of new skills during Year 7. They complete a range of small and medium size tasks/ projects/ They begin to develop skills and techniques to enable them to design and make products suitable for different users. They select and use the correct tools and equipment and use a varied range of materials to make creative solutions to a set brief. Projects encourage independence and creativity.

Projects/ Skills covered:

• Textiles – Basic sewing skills, applique and embroidery techniques. Students will also gain an understanding of fastenings.
• Resistant materials – H&S, Key Fob, Isometrics drawing, Vacuum formed clock

• Food & Nutrition - Students will be looking into what healthy eating is and the importance of having a healthy lifestyle. We use the Eatwell Guide as a basis to these theory lesson. Students will also learn about health & safety aspects in the Food Room, how to use a range of utensils, equipment and appliances and also develop specific preparation skills in the practical sessions of the rotation - weighing, measuring and knife skills.

  Practical lessons and food products produced = Deli Salad, Shortbread and Pizza Whirls.

• Product Design- Graphics – Chocolate Wrapper

In year 8:

Students build on the skills and techniques developed in Y7. They work with independence and precision to make well finished products that meet the needs of the target market. Testing and evaluating skills are used effectively to develop their work. Projects are challenging and allow students to take design risks.

Projects covered:

• Textiles – Travel pillows inspired by different countries. Tie dye and applique techniques explored. Students will also learn about properties of some fabrics.
• Resistant materials – 1 Point perspective, Manufacturing techniques. Jointed Toy project.

• Food & Nutrition - Students will continue to develop their knowledge of 'Healthy Living' throughout the theory lessons in their F&N rotation. Students will look into Seasonality, Food Provenance and develop a greater understanding of Food Commodities. In practical sessions students will enhance their preparation skills and techniques while using a greater range of utensils, equipment and appliances with as much independence as possible.

  Practical lessons and food products produced = Vegetable Soup, Fruit Crumble and Fajitas.

• Product design - Graphics – Sustainable Speaker – Electronics & CAD/CAM

In year 9:

Students extend their skills and knowledge enabling them to prepare for GCSE choices. In depth research enables them to design and make creative and quality products that are innovative. Students investigate the work of professional designers and recognise how it impacts on their own projects. They work consistently and independently with a wide range of tools, equipment and materials.

Projects covered:

• Textiles – Developing decorative techniques in an art piece animal portrait. Focusing on printing techniques, layering of fabrics and developing embroidery and applique skills learnt in previous years. Students will learn about fabric construction and material sources
• Resistant materials –  Plastic mini skills, 2 point perspective skills Storage holder and anthropometric Project

• Food & Nutrition - Students will begin to look at the fundamentals of food to help prepare them for further study at Key Stage 4 and to give them a greater understanding of why we prepare and cook nutritious food. 

  Students will prepare, cook and serve an increasingly complex range of dishes with precision and care.

  Practical lessons and food products produced = Cake Jars, Mini Quiches and a Cultural Dish of choice.

• Product design – Graphics – Music Festival

KS4

GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition

The specification sets out the knowledge, understanding and skills required to cook and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating. Students will learn information about how you can apply nutrition through practical work, cooking of food and heat transfer, functional and chemical properties of food, food spoilage and contamination, principles effecting food safety, sustainability, food labelling and marketing, food processing and production and sensory evaluation.  Throughout Year 10 students will learn and practise food preparation skills in their practical sessions as well.  

Year 10:

Students will apply nutritional knowledge learnt in theory lessons to the dishes that they produce in the practical sessions.

The practical sessions will enhance student’s food preparation skills, techniques and processes. The food products and dishes that they produce will link in from the theory sessions taught previously so that students are as prepared and confident as they possible can be.

In theory lessons students will use a variety of resources from textbooks and worksheets to work booklets and laptops to build up their knowledge on specific topics provided by the AQA exam board (specification). The content and structure of the theory lessons will also equip students with the knowledge required for their written examination (50% of their overall GCSE). 

Students will explore different types of food chemistry and functions - this prepares students for their NEA1 (non-exam assessment) in Food Science and their NEA2 in Food Preparation (non-exam assessment). 

Year 11:

The focus of Year 11 is to complete two pieces of NEA and revisit the knowledge learnt in Year 10 in order to revise for a written examination (50% of overall GCSE).
NEA1 - Food Science investigation 15% - applying food science and chemistry knowledge to  experiments  and writing up the findings in a 1500—2000 word report/essay with photographs.
NEA2 - Food Preparation 35% - produce a three course meal within a three hour timed assessment showing as many food preparation skills as possible around a set brief. Write up and evaluate the findings with the means of a written report.  

 

GCSE – Graphics

 

In Graphics students will work with a variety of materials including paper, board and foam and develop their practical skills in the workshop while completing a number of skill projects. Students will develop their ability to design through a range of sketching techniques, sketch modelling and computer software programs. Students will get the opportunity to work creatively when designing and making and apply technical and practical expertise.

 

The AQA course assessment is divided equally between a final Non-Examined Assessment (coursework) and a final 2-hour exam. In the NEA, students will be able to choose from a number of exam board contextual challenges. This extended piece of work will enable students to demonstrate skills learnt in Year 10. They will complete a section on research, design, development, making and evaluation. The exam is broken down into two main parts, core technical principles and specialist technical principles and students will be required to answer a range of multiple choice and short answer questions.

 

Students will learn about –

 

• New and Emerging technologies
• Energy, materials, systems and devises
• Materials and their working properties
• Common specialist technical principles
• Design principles
• Making principles

 

GCSE – Resistant Materials

 

In Resistant Materials students will work with a variety of materials including wood, plastic and metal and develop their practical skills in the workshop while completing a number of skill projects. Students will gain awareness and learn from wider influences on Design and Technology including historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic factors. Students will get the opportunity to work creatively when designing and making and apply technical and practical expertise.

 

The AQA course assessment is divided equally between a final Non-Examined Assessment (coursework) and a final 2-hour exam. In the NEA, students will be able to choose from a number of exam board contextual challenges. This extended piece of work will enable students to demonstrate skills learnt in Year 10. They will complete a section on research, design, development, making and evaluation. The exam is broken down into two main parts, core technical principles and specialist technical principles and students will be required to answer a range of multiple choice and short answer questions.

 

Students will learn about:

• New and Emerging technologies
• Energy, materials, systems and devises
• Materials and their working properties
• Common specialist technical principles
• Design principles
• Making principles

 

OCR - Textiles

The Textiles course is structed into two main parts, Coursework (60%) and Exam (40%)

Students will spend Year 10 building their coursework portfolio up until the January of Year 11 when the exam paper is released. Students will then spend the remainder of the time preparing for their 10 hour final exam.

This course encourages learners to:

• Use a variety of fabrics and materials to create products, garments or art pieces based on their own theme, analysis of research, techniques and samples
• actively engage in the creative process of art, craft and design in order to develop as effective and independent learners, and as critical and reflective thinkers with enquiring minds
• develop creative, imaginative and intuitive capabilities when exploring and making images, artefacts and products
• become confident in taking risks and learn from experience when exploring and experimenting with ideas, processes, media, materials and techniques
• develop critical understanding through investigative, analytical, experimental, practical, technical and expressive skills
• develop and refine ideas and proposals, personal outcomes or solutions with increasing independence
• acquire and develop technical skills through working with a broad range of media, materials, techniques, processes and technologies with purpose and intent
• develop knowledge and understanding of art, craft and design in historical and contemporary contexts, societies and cultures
• develop an awareness of the different roles and individual work practices evident in the production of art, craft and design in the creative and cultural industries
• develop an awareness of the purposes, intentions and functions of art, craft and design in a variety of contexts and as appropriate to learners’ own work
• demonstrate safe working practices in art, craf