“If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.”
– Ken Robinson
Powerful Knowledge in Design and Technology
Powerful knowledge is the realisation that most of the items or products we interact with on a daily basis are designed for a reason. Students should be made aware that design and invention provide solutions. Students will develop a wealth of high-quality experiences within the Design and Technology sector. These will include opportunities to learn and develop skills using the latest industry-standard equipment.
Design and Technology gives students the opportunity to step outside of their comfort zone, take risks and problem solve. We encourage independent learning and provide students with strategies to become resilient through taking risks, harnessing creativity to look for new and innovative solutions to design-based problems.
Design and Technology is the bridge between Technology, Art, Science and Business. It brings together creativity, innovations and enterprise in an applied way that opens up career opportunities for the future. Real-world problems are used to develop students’ understanding of the huge, life-changing role and impact a designer can have, including:
- Bringing technology alive using the latest CAD and CAM equipment.
- Learning how the technology industry is changing with new and exciting materials and processes.
- Developing an understanding of the latest technology advancements that are shaping the environment, and raising awareness of ecological and sustainability issues.
- Knowledge of important design role models, design movements and their origins from culture.
- Encouraging students to have inquisitive minds – not to accept what is presented to them, but to question why materials behave in the way they do, and understanding how their characteristics and origins can be manipulated and developed to create more useful and realistic outcomes.
- Having the ability to consider that alternative materials and power sources can be used to aid sustainability.
- A good understanding of how environmental considerations can impact design decisions, both positively and negatively, helping students to become conscientious consumers.
- Looking at a wide range of resources to see how they have inspired design, taking note of the evolution of nature and how Biomimicry has impacted the progress of design.
- Understanding how consumers interact with products and their environment, ensuring ergonomics and anthropometrics enable products to be fit for purpose.
Design and Technology gives students the opportunity to develop the iterative design process to provide solutions to given problems, developing the ability to argue, justify and present with confidence and clarity. Powerful knowledge enables students to discuss, evaluate and experiment as part of the iterative design process.
Curriculum Features
Year 7
Students develop their knowledge and skills over the transition period, ensuring that they get an excitement for the new subjects in the Design and Technology curriculum, and develop their independence in each of the specialist Technology environments. Schemes of Learning are designed to engage and give students a passion for the subject. Life skills and independence enable students to progress.
Year 8
Students have the opportunity to develop problem-solving and practical skills, working with a range of different materials and ingredients, across different subjects and environments. They understand how to use many different ingredients and materials to create relevant products that meet their target market’s requirements.
Year 9
Students are given the opportunity to work with new technologies and understand how electronic components and the use of CAD/CAM can add to a prototype product/food product. The students use a range of materials, ingredients, finishes and equipment to understand how to work to industry standards, using new tools, and machinery and equipment across the specialisms including Food and Nutrition, Design and Technology and Textiles. Quality control and tolerances along with cultural application give this part of the technology journey depth and a love of learning. We have developed a curriculum that inspires students through a range of practical outcomes, which give an insight into the role of a professional designer.
Co-curricular Enrichment
We offer subject specific enrichment after school and during lunchtime electives. Students have the opportunity to work with our specialist staff and use the specialist equipment to develop their work and get subject-specific support.
We offer trips and enrichment opportunities relating to all areas of Design and Technology, Food and Nutrition and Textiles. From rewards trips to having designers in residence, gallery visits, Degree Shows, visits to places of employment, industry practice, guest speakers, and visiting specialist practitioners – these all help to inspire and motivate our students.
We offer a multidisciplinary approach at the heart of the STEM club. We have Trust wide competitions, themed seasonal baking competitions and Live projects, which are used as competitions of creativity within Design and Technology. These also feed into the whole school house competitions.
Students are able to see how real designers work and take part in a ‘live’ brief.
Mentoring by our KS5 students helps formulate close bonds within peer groups, this support network is offered to GCSE students to ensure they make the most progress they can in their chosen Design and Technology specialism.