D&T: Product Design
Design and Technology
Design and Technology is part of everyday life and constantly evolving. In Design and Technology, students are developing practical skills as well as life skills. They will learn skills in a particular material area such a wood, plastic, metal, paper and card. Students will be able to follow a design process to help manufacture high-quality outcomes. They will learn transferable skills such as how to communicate and collaborate with other students. They will learn how real-life designer work in the industry and how the manufacturing process work to enable designers to produce the products that we use today.
Students will start to understand how to work from a contextual challenge to brainstorming ideas and using computer software to show how their idea would look in 3D. They will be able to use tools and equipment with a range of material choices to make their ideas come to life. Students will be able to learn theory within fun and engaging practical lessons. They will be encouraged to design products that will benefit people and solve real-life solutions.
Design and Technology allow students to transfer their knowledge from other subjects such as Art, Geography, Business Studies, English, Science and Maths. The theory will consist of Science and Maths within materials areas. This will be assessed in their GCSE exam which is worth 15% Maths and 15% Science. The coursework will consist of 50% of their grade and the exam paper will be 50% of their final grade.
Students will be able to go onto the following careers in the industry:
Engineer
Designer
Architect
Interior designer
And many more.
Students will be able to attend trips to attend exciting trips to get their imaginations going and have a look at possible career paths in the future.
· Design Museum to look at past and present iconic design and attend workshops
· BMW Mini factory tour joint with Business studies to allow them to see how cars are made in the industry on a production line.
· STEM workshops to gain an understanding of how science maths plays a huge part in DT
Key Stage 3
Year 7
Project: Making a Desk tidy for home
Pupils will be focusing on how to analyse a contextual challenge preparing them for the GCSE. They will be able to use different methods to help generate innovative ideas. During the process, they will learn how to draw in 2 point perspective and render their work to make it look more realistic. They will then go onto understand how to use tools and equipment and how important health and safety is in the workshop. This year is an experimental project that allows the students to use all the tools and the machines in the classroom. They will use a range of materials such as wood, plastic and card. They will learn how to create designs in 2D and 3D software such as 2D Design and Sketch-up making designing come alive.
Year 8
Project: Computing and programming
Pupils will be engaged in short experimental workshops where every day they learn something different. They will learn how to draw and develop ideas from unusual images to create a unique design idea. They will be taught short tutorials to get used to using a range of tools on 3D software (sketch up). Where they will be able to design their own product from their creative drawings. Students will get to use a software called crumble where they can learn how to control electronics with programming codes and be able to move a buggy around the classroom.
KS3 DT Club
DT club is available for student on Monday after school at 15.30-16.30 to allow students to further their skills and passion for design and technology.
Key Stage 4
Year 9
Term 1
Pupils will be focusing on Make only tasks to allow them to build their making skills.
Pupils will learn how to use tools and equipment safely to make their own wooden carriage. This will allow them to learn joining methods and further their confidence and skills on machines. They will be able to learn how to solder electronics and make a LED light turn on and off with a switch. They will understand the science between movement in the form of linear and reciprocating movement. At the end of the product, the will learn the correct finishes to use on the correct types of wood and their properties.
Term 2
Pupils will be focusing on computer skills. They will learn how to use 2D design to make a product that can be sold in stores. This will allow them to think independently on the best way to join the components together for the best fit. They will understand why products are packaged and be able to use a range of classroom tools to assemble the product to together.
Term 3
Pupils will do mini coursework based on a contextual challenge. It will be based around lighting. This will allow students to think of real-life challenge that people face today and start to solve problems on their own. This will allow them to use the skills they have previously learnt based on their research they can found to design a range of possible ideas to make as their final design. Students will learn the importance of planning ahead and carefully thinking about their design to ensure the best fit.
Year 10
Pupils will be given contextual challenges for real-life situations where they are able to design to meet the needs of their consumer. Following the design process will enable students to see how products are made in the industry and the thought process that allows a design to be successful during production. They will undertake 2 sets of coursework which will fully prepare them for their contextual challenge given by the exam board in June which they will start to work on throughout year 11.
Pupils will have theory lessons to gain knowledge of material areas and manufacturing processes.
Year 11
Pupils will be given the contextual challenge by the exam board. They will be working through the coursework independently, alongside theory lesson to help with exam practice.