Design and Technology

We believe all students deserve a Design and Technology curriculum that is ambitious and rich in knowledge.  We feel strongly that we want to develop the mind set and skills necessary for students to be future Designers, Architects and Engineers, not just teach students Design and Technology.  In line with the Trusts vision, we want all young people to ‘make outstanding progress’ through a Design and Technology curriculum that aims to ignite and maintain students’ curiosity and promote skills of creativity, imagination, designing and making products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values.

Careful consideration has been, and continues to be, put into developing the Science curriculum; the curriculum spirals and is planned and sequenced so that new component knowledge and skills build on what has been previously taught; revisiting key concepts areas throughout Years 7 -11 is routine.  We want Design and Technology to prepare our children, to give them the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences they need to be successful in later life.

Design and Technology is a crucial part of school life and learning and it is for this reason that as a school we are dedicated to the teaching and delivery of a high-quality Design and Technology curriculum.

This is implemented through:

• A well thought out, whole school, yearly overview of the DT curriculum which allows for progression across year groups in all areas of Design and Technology (Woodwork, Food, Metalwork and Electrical systems).
• Well planned and resourced projects providing students with a hands-on and enriching experience.
• A range of skills being taught ensuring that students are aware of health and safety issues related to the tasks undertaken.
• Teachers being given ownership and flexibility to plan for Design and Technology.
• Each project from Year 7 to Year 11 addresses the principles of designing, making, and evaluating and incorporating relevant technical knowledge and understanding in relevant contexts.
• Students being introduced to specific designers, chefs, engineers etc. helping to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement and increase the cultural capital from which they can draw in the future.

Students will have clear enjoyment and confidence in Design and Technology that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum. Through carefully planned and implemented learning activities the students develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.

Some examples of key issues that are discussed are; Social and moral issues based around design, designing for a customer, target markets, user needs, iterative design, sustainability and new and emerging technologies.

Through discussion of key technological matters, experiences gained from co- curricular, trips and talks to understanding the utility and broad application of Design qualifications, knowledge and skills used in Design and Technology.

Each department has carefully developed curriculum plans in line with our curriculum intent. The curriculum overview for each year group in this subject can be found below.