Courses
Ks3 teaching - Product Design, Catering, and 3D Graphical Design.
In year seven, eight, and nine teaching is delivered through a twelve-week carrousel. The students move between three areas: Product Design, Food Preperation and Nutrition, and 3D Graphical Design. The DT groups are a mix of students from different forms. Students receive two hours per week of DT in year seven and year eight, and one hour in year nine. The KS3 curriculum is being continually refined to keep up with national changes. Projects within KS3 are designed to be engaging, fun, and of high worth. Departmental KS3 extra curricular activities include the Lego club, and a cookery club.
Ks4 teaching - Design & Technology AQA
https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/design-and-technology/specifications/AQA-8552-SP-2017.PDF
What is the Course About?
Central to the course is the ‘design process’ – a system for finding the best solution to a problem. The 'design process', as taught in school, closely follows the format used in industry and requires skill in graphics and modeling. The 'making' element of the course expands on the skills and knowledge that the student has gained during years seven to nine. The use of machine processes is encouraged to engender safe and relevant experience of manufacturing, we are equipped with high-quality PCs, Apple Macs, our 3D create education hub equipped with10 3D printers, two laser cutters and three 3D denford micro routers. See the facilities page for more information on our facilities.
We are always looking to expand the experiences of our students, and aim to visit important design exhibitions, universities, and businesses. We also enter and win national design competitions. It is also possible for students to select/aim for a design based work experience in Year 10.
Career implications
Design and technology is an excellent course for any student wishing to enter into a wide variety of areas, and was recently voted by teachers across the country as the “most valuable subject for learning skills”. Over the last few years, we have had students go on to study for degrees in a wide variety of areas, such as Architecture, Product design, Industrial design, Automotive design, Engineering, Illustration, Computer Graphics, and many more. The disciplined ‘Problem Solving' nature of the subject lends itself to virtually every area of learning and therefore can serve to complement any other subject.
Method of Study and Assessment
NEA (non-exam based assessment) Controlled assessment portfolio and artifact – 50% of GCSE
This is the compilation of graphical evidence of the design progress in the selected project, combined with the practical outcome (or artifact) to build a complete ‘design and make’ experience. The contexts for the NEA is released by AQA in the summer term.
Examination Written Paper – 2 hours – 50% of GCSE
This is a single paper encompassing every aspect of the course. The paper focus on the three principal areas of the course.
- Core technical principles
- Specialist technical principles
- Designing and making principles
Ks4 teaching - Eduqas GCSE in Food Preparation and Nutrition
https://www.eduqas.co.uk/media/4zjdq104/eduqas-gcse-food-preparation-nutrition-spec-from-2016.PDF
What is the course about?
The Eduqas GCSE in Food Preparation and Nutrition equips learners with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to cook and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating. It encourages learners to cook, enables them to make informed decisions about food and nutrition and allows them to acquire knowledge in order to be able to feed themselves and others affordably and nutritiously, now and later in life.
Aims and objectives
By studying food preparation and nutrition learners will be able to demonstrate effective and safe cooking skills by planning, preparing and cooking a variety of food commodities whilst using different cooking techniques and equipment. They will develop knowledge and understanding of the functional properties and chemical characteristics of food as well as a sound knowledge of the nutritional content of food and drinks, understand the relationship between diet, nutrition and health, including the physiological and psychological effects of poor diet and health. Understand the economic, environmental, ethical and socio-cultural influences on food availability, production processes, diet and health choices. Students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of functional and nutritional properties, sensory qualities and microbiological food safety considerations when preparing, processing, storing, cooking and serving food. Finally, understand and explore a range of ingredients and processes from different culinary traditions.
Methods of Study and Assessment
Component 1: Principles of Food Preparation and Nutrition Written examination:
1 hour 45 minutes 50% of qualification.
This component will consist of two sections both containing compulsory questions and will assess the six areas of content as listed in the specified GCSE content. Section A: questions based on stimulus material. Section B: structured, short and extended response questions to assess content related to food preparation and nutrition.
Component 2: Food Preparation and Nutrition in Action Non-examination assessment:
Internally assessed, externally moderated Assessment 1: 8 hours Assessment 2: 12 hours 50% of qualification
Assessment 1: The Food Investigation Assessment A scientific food investigation which will assess the learner's knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to scientific principles underlying the preparation and cooking of food.
Assessment 2: (Split into two NEAs worth 15% and 35%) The Food Preparation Assessment Prepare, cook and present a menu which assesses the learner’s knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to the planning, preparation, cooking and presentation of food. These assessments will be based on a choice of tasks released by WJEC annually.
Sixth form teaching - Product Design AQA
https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/design-and-technology/specifications/AQA-7552-SP-2017.PDF
What is the course about?
This creative and thought-provoking qualification gives students the practical skills, theoretical knowledge and confidence to succeed in a number of careers. Especially those in the creative industries. They will investigate historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic influences on design and technology, whilst enjoying opportunities to put their learning in to practice by producing prototypes of their choice. Students will gain a real understanding of what it means to be a designer, alongside the knowledge and skills sought by higher education and employers.
For whom is the course suitable?
The course suitable for students who whish to make the next step on from their design related GCSE. The scope of the qualification allows students who have studied design based courses, such as: Design Technology, engineering, Graphics , Electronics, Textiles, and Systems and Control to progress onto an A level in Product Design.
Teaching Methods and Homework commitment
The course is broken down into exam and coursework based units. A large number of teaching methods are utilised to address the large and diverse course content. Exam based units are delivered in a focused practical task format, utilising workshop facilities for hands-on testing and materials analysis, and Apple Mac suit for classroom teaching. The coursework unites are delivered as design tasks based around student work submission deadlines, both Workshop and computer suits are available to the students. A large part of the coursework is individual and encourages independent learning which helps students to develop further skills in decision making, creativity, and critical analysis through individual and collaborative working.
Method of Study and Assessment
Paper 1 Technical principles
Written exam: 2 hours and 30 minutes, 120 marks, 30% of A-level Questions Mixture of short answer and extended response focusing on technical principals
Paper 2 Designing and making principles
Written exam: 1 hour and 30 minutes, 80 marks, 20% of A-level Questions Mixture of short answer and extended response questions.
Non-exam assessment (NEA)
What's assessed Practical application of technical principles, designing and making principles. How it's assessed: Substantial design and make project,100 marks, 50% of A-level Evidence Written or digital design portfolio and photographic evidence of final prototype.
What could I go on to do at the end of the course?
Design Technology is recognised by many Universities as being one of the most useful subjects available, due to the analytical and creative thinking elements that it focuses upon. The course enables students to be inspired, moved and challenged by following a broad, coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course of study, that also gives an insight into related sectors, such as manufacturing and engineering. The course has been a ‘springboard’ into a wide variety of courses and careers. In the last few years our students have gone on to study: Industrial Design, Product Design, Engineering, Industrial Design and Engineering, Civil engineering, Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Automotive design, and Computer illustration in some of the best universities in the country as well as apprenticeships and direct employment using Computer Aided Design.