Design and Technology Curriculum

Design and Technology Curriculum

Curriculum Intent – Content and Structure

The intended outcomes of what we teach:

Design and Technology aims to develop the creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, designing and making skills of our students.

Students can discover, use and develop their range of practical making skills alongside their designing and analytical skills to create meaningful and commercially viable products, buildings, spaces and experiences.  Students will learn about the materials, manufacturing and mass-produced world around them.

Curriculum Implementation

Curriculum Content and Sequence
 

Year 7

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Bauhaus

Introduction to core skills analysing, designing, making /CAD/CAM etc.

Bauhaus continued

10 Principals of Good Design

Materials - Desk tidy / pencil case

Intro to core practical skills - making and accuracy.

10 Principles of Good Design

Materials - Desk tidy / pencil case.

 

Year 8

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Movement and Lighting

Introduction to plastics, movement and motion and further use of CAD/CAM.

Art Nouveau and Casting

Introduction to design movements and the process of casting – including use of pewter, concrete and resin.

Ergonomics and The User

Introduction to students designing for a user creating a prototype and evaluating their ideas. recycled materials?

How can we incorporate individual ideas into a team project?

Students will explore the texture and patterns within the urban environment.

There will be an opportunity for a photography lesson outside of the classroom where students will photograph different surfaces around the Academy.  From these photography outcomes students will design and create a lino print inspired by the textures and patterns they see in the surfaces.


Year 9

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Biomimicry

Contemporary Furniture. Students explore the ideas of using nature as a source of inspiration to design a chair.

Design Movement

Storage Unit. Students design and create a storage unit based on a 20th Century Design Movement.

They will demonstrate an understanding of colour theory in their design and planning process as well as in their ceramic outcome.

There will be an independent Art HL project to be launched this term, which will lead to a department prize at end of Spring Term for the best project about their chosen Ceramic Artist.

Architecture- Micro Housing.

Students explore architecture by creating a micro housing unit by using a shipping container as the basis for a home. 


Year 10

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Design Ventura

Students work in groups and collaborate to create a product that would be sold in the Design Museum shop.

Workshop skills in use of machines, CAD/CAM, cutting, shaping,  joining, and finishing.

Designer, Maker, User

Students will make a product and then redesign their own improved version to cater for a different user.

Mock NEA - Students will create a reduced NEA portfolio that will prepare them for their Year 11 GCSE NEA.

Mock NEA

Students will create a reduced NEA portfolio that will prepare them for their Year 11 GCSE NEA.


Year 11

Autumn

Spring

Summer

GCSE NEA

Students create their design portfolio. Researching and exploring their chosen design context.

GCSE NEA

Students create their design portfolio. Designing and making based on their chosen design context.

GCSE NEA

Students complete their design portfolio. Making and evaluating based on their chosen design context.


Year 12

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Form vs Function - Lak Table

Students have a foundation project to embed skills on the main aspects of researching, designing, making and evaluating

Form vs Function 2 - Architecture, Lighting and Furniture

Students explore a different aspect of design building on the key aspects of design.

Preparation for Year 13 - Research and Presentation on Personal Study

Students prepare for their personal study project in Year 13 developing research and presentation skills.


Year 13

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Personal Study

Students generate their own design brief and focus on a project that builds on their designing and making skills.

Personal Study

Students complete sustained focus and finish their final designs and evaluate their projects.

Externally Set Assignment

Students are given a brief by the exam board and respond with quicker deadlines in place.

 

The Rationale for the Content and Sequence of what we Teach

Year

Why we Teach this Content and how the Content and Sequence of Topics Benefits our Students

Year 7

Foundation of subject knowledge and embedding key skills and concepts.

Year 8

Exploring more complex ideas and building on key skills and concepts.

Year 9

Refining and exploring use of wood, plastics and metals – Intro GCSE content

Year 10

Introducing live briefs with real life clients – More GCSE content

Year 11

GCSE NEA portfolio with GCSE content completed

Year 12

Foundation of A-Level skills in researching, analysing, designing and making

Year 13

Exploring Personal Study and responding to exam board brief.

 

Key Stage 4 (KS4) and Key Stage 5 (KS5) only:

What exam board/syllabus do you teach?

KS4 - AQA GCSE Design and Technology

KS5 - AQA Art and Design Three-Dimensional Design

Why have you chosen this syllabus?

KS4 - The balance of practical and exam 50:50 gives students excellent balance of portfolio and exam understanding for pursing a range of pathways.

KS5 - The course is more practical with better scope for ensuring all ability students can achieve well and create a personal portfolio for further education applications and allows students to explore their own themes within their work.

In what ways is it suited to your students?

KS4 - Suits students who are academically able and capable of researching, designing, making and evaluating.

KS5 - Suits a wide range of students both internal and external who are academically able and capable of researching, designing, making and evaluating.

 

Curriculum Implementation

The subject specific habits and behaviours we develop (or intend to develop) in our students

Subject Specific Habits and Behaviours

How we embed these in our students

Analysing

Designing

Making

Reflecting

Presenting

Analysing - Teachers embed these habits by creating learning activities that ensure students can NOTICE details and use REASONING to work out what those details tell us about a product.

Designing - Teachers ensure students have the chance to be CREATIVE, expressing themselves by using their IMAGINATION to come with original and innovative ideas to meet a need.

Making - Teachers provide opportunities for students to use the tools, machines and equipment safely to CREATE and REALISE their ideas.

Reflecting - Teachers give students time to EVALUATE and REFLECT on the ideas that they create and consider how they could drive and iterate further improvements in their ideas.

Presenting - Teachers direct students to present and display their sketchbook learning in a CLEAR and COHERENT manner that show attention to detail.

 

Academy Ethos

Academy Curriculum Intent

How our department’s curriculum content and teaching approaches reflect the whole Academy ethos

A Curricular and Pastoral commitment to Micah 6v8: Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God.

High Expectations of students’ behaviour for learning, learning progress and respect for our community.

A commitment to make learning enjoyable, engaging, relevant and challenging.

A commitment to develop knowledge, skills and character.

Consistency and fairness in approach and routines.

Excellent and developing subject knowledge which inspires confidence in students.

Effective collaboration across all parts of the Academy.

Highly skilled teaching which deepens understanding and stimulates curiosity.

A willingness to embrace research and innovation in order to enhance the learning potential of our students.

Recognising and rewarding effective use of learning habits as well as academic achievement.

Design and Technology students need to imagine their product would suit the needs of a user other than themselves.  To do this they must consider using just, kind humble characteristic.

Justice - Can students design a product that is just?  Is it worthy of a price?  Is it honest?  Does the production of the product consider fair trade?  Or the environment?

Kindness - Can students design with another user in mind?  How can the consideration of others needs be a important factor in design ideas?  Why is empathy and kindness important when designing?

Humility - How can students consider being humble about their design ideas?  How can evaluating their ideas mean that you may improve the outcome?

Excellence - Using designing and evaluation tools products and ideas can become more successful.  Share examples of excellence in design from a range of designers and architects.

Collaboration - Designers need to work by themselves and form part of a design team or company.  What collaboration skills are important in design when collaborating?

Curiosity - Designers must be curious about the world around them.  They must consider reason why?  Why is that material used for that product?  Why is that product designed in the way that it is?

Innovation - What is innovation and why is innovation important in designing?  List innovative product.  What makes them innovative?

Recognition - Teachers will award praise through 9s, praise post cards and through sharing examples of student’s outcomes that are excellent.  Public praise to encourage students in their designing.

 

Implementation

Academy Ethos

Micah 6v8: Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God

 

Curriculum Content Opportunities

Curriculum Delivery Opportunities

Justice
  1. Student evaluations of each other’s work - self and peer evaluation.
  2. Written and verbal feedback from teacher.
  3. Year 9 Biomimicry furniture design using examples of manufacturing processes that consider just and ethical considerations.  
  4. Sharing examples of students who have shown outstanding effort in a piece of class/home learning.
  1. Plenaries in each lesson. 
  2. Marking three times a term. 
  3. KS5 Introduce students to articles/ TED Talks and current affairs. Discussion and research-based lessons to allow students express their opinions and make them feel valued. 
  4. Sending out more three or more praise postcards per half term.
Kindness
  1. Collaboration with peers and building on relational learning habits. 
  2. To be creative is to be vulnerable, therefore when students are regularly asked to peer review/comment on practical work, they develop skills in being honest whilst also being mindful of others feelings. 
  3. Using practical materials and a range of different media. 
  1. Develop students abilities to work together cohesively.  
  2. Plenaries in each lesson/group discussions to reflect on the learning taking place.
  3. Trust built with students to use equipment respectfully and to take responsibility to clear the classroom and to help one another in practical lesson. 
Humility
  1. Collaboration with peers and building on relational learning habits. 
  2. Group discussion on different projects using evaluation tools to help students reflect on the quality of their outcomes
  3. Year 8 DBE project ensuring students reflect on their ability to create curiosity and consider what they don’t know and would like to find out.
  1. Year 10 students work collaboratively to build relational skills.
  2. Students are introduced to designers and are able to discuss ideas that can be divisive and develop skills in debating an idea or interpretation with humility. 
  3. Creating an inspirational community of learning rooted in Christian values, providing outstanding educational opportunities and experiences for all students regardless of age, ethnicity, ability and background.

Please click here to access the full Design and Technology Curriculum document.