Design Technology

Miss Mitchell-Bennett | Head of D&T

Design and technology consists of a small but dedicated team of four full time members of staff. We are committed to the nurturing and development of our students’ skills and knowledge base, through lessons that cultivate ideas and are enjoyable. We provide a safe, friendly and controlled environment with pupil centered work delivered by a highly professional and experienced team.

In Design and Technology pupils combine practical skills, creative thinking to design and manufacture products that meet the needs of the user. They learn to use current technologies and consider the impact of future technological developments. As well as learning to think creatively and intervene to improve the quality of life and solving problems as individuals and members of a team.

The Technology department has two dedicated workshops, within the Reynolds block, equipped with both woodworking and metalworking tools and machinery. There is also a purpose built ICT suite housing 21 PCs with both 2D and 3D design software. We have also opened a new STEM facility with top of the range innovative technology and learning spaces. 3D printing and Laser cutting is used by all students from year 7 upwards which allows them the exciting change to design, prototype and see their ideas become reality. We pride ourselves on our knowledge and understanding of older manufacturing processes, but value also the excitement of new and emerging technologies and enjoy supporting students to engage the two in creative ways through design and manufacture

Key Stage 3

What will my child learn in D&T?

KS3 is centred around building a skill base, using tools and equipment safely and learning the fundamentals of sketching and design. Students will be challenged with design briefs that ask them to explore design and manufacture. They will work with a range of manufacture processes from woodworking hand skills to laser cutting and 3D printing.

We will also begin to develop the basics of CAD using Solidworks which is used in engineering and design industries by professionals.

How is Design and technology assessed?

Students will be assessed at the end of each topic area or half term period. Assessments are cumulative and assess students’ knowledge of the entire year in each assessment. Students will be assessed on design work, manufacture skills, CAD and the properties of materials.

Year 7

Term 1 – Health and safety, tools, processing skills.
Term 2 – Isometric sketching, Design and CAD
Term 3 – Manufacture of pencil case, woods theory
Term 4 – Design and CAD, plastics theory
Term 5 – Manufacture of Toy and area calculations
Term 6 – STEM and engineering group projects.

Year 7 has an integrated STEM curriculum. This means that your DT topics will overlap with Maths and Science allowing you to see the vast range that STEM covers.

Year 8

Term 1 – Health and safety, woods properties and uses
Term 2 – Passive design, sustainability
Term 3 – Speaker manufacture
Term 4 – Mechanisms and calculations, Design project investigating plastics
Term 5 – Manufacture of plastics project
Term 6 – STEM and engineering group projects

Year 9

Term 1 – Health and safety, Electronics
Term 2 – CAD design and 3D printing
Term 3 – Model train manufacture
Term 4 – Mechanical movement, investigations & calculations
Term 5 – Material processing and development
Term 6 – STEM and engineering group projects.
In year 9 the boys will also be collaborating with outside organisations MACE and SATRO to help develop their skills and gain an insight into some of the professions studying Design Technology can lead to.

What resources will support my child’s learning?

www.technologystudent.com
www.quizlet.com

A booklet that we will provide.

Download the DT roadmap

Key Stage 4

What will my child learn in Design and Technology?

The GCSE in Design and Technology enables students to understand and apply iterative design processes through which they explore, create and evaluate a range of outcomes. The qualification enables students to use creativity and imagination to design and make prototypes (together with evidence of modelling to develop and prove product concept and function) that solve real and relevant problems, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values.

It gives students opportunities to apply knowledge from other disciplines, including mathematics, science, art and design, computing and the humanities.

Students will acquire subject knowledge in design and technology that builds on Key Stage 3, incorporating knowledge and understanding of different materials and manufacturing processes in order to design and make, with confidence, prototypes in response to issues, needs, problems and opportunities. Students learn how to take design risks, helping them to become resourceful, innovative and enterprising citizens. They should develop an awareness of practices from the creative, engineering and manufacturing industries.

Through the critique of the outcomes of design and technology activity, both historic and present day, students should develop an understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world and understand that high-quality design and technology is important to the creativity, culture, sustainability, wealth and wellbeing of the nation and the global community.

What examination board does Design Technology follow?
Pearson Edexcel – Design and Technology (9-1)

How is GCSE assessed?

Component 1 (*Paper code: 1DT0/1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F)

Written examination: 1 hour and 45 minutes
50% of the qualification
100 marks

Content overview

Core content
Timbers

Assessment overview

The paper consists of two sections. Section A is assessed on the core content and Section B is assessed on the material category students have chosen. 1DT0/1F – Timbers

Section A: Core

This section is 40 marks and contains a mixture of different question styles, including open-response, graphical, calculation and extended-open-response questions. There will
be 10 marks of calculation questions in Section A.

Section B: Material categories

This section is 60 marks and contains a mixture of different question styles, including open-response, graphical, calculation and extended-open-response questions. There will be 5 marks of calculation questions in Section B.

Component 2 (Paper code: 1DT0/02)
Non-examined assessment
50% of the qualification
100 marks
Content overview

There are four parts to the assessment:

1 – Investigate
This includes investigation of needs and research, and a product specification

2 – Design
This includes producing different design ideas, review of initial ideas, development of design ideas into a chosen design, communication of design ideas and review of the chosen design.

3 – Make
This includes manufacture, and quality and accuracy

4 – Evaluate
This includes testing and evaluation.

Assessment overview

Students will undertake a project based on a contextual challenge released by us a year

before certification.

This will be released on 1st June and will be available on our website.
The project will test students’ skills in investigating, designing, making and evaluating a prototype of a product.
Task will be internally assessed and externally moderated.
The marks are awarded for each part as follows.

1 – Investigate (16 marks)
2 – Design (42 marks)
3 – Make (36 marks)
4 – Evaluate (6 marks)

What resources will support my child’s learning?
Edexcel Testbook: GCSE Design and Technology (9-1) Available on amazon for approx. £20. All students are required to own a copy of this book.

How are the separate sciences taught?

Key Stage 5

What will my child learn in Design and Technology?

The aims and objectives of this qualification are to enable students to:

Use creativity and imagination when applying iterative design processes to develop and modify designs, and to design and make prototypes that solve real world problems, considering their own and others’ needs, wants, aspirations and values
Identify market needs and opportunities for new products, initiate and develop design solutions, and make and test prototypes
Acquire subject knowledge in design and technology, including how a product can be developed through the stages of prototyping, realisation and commercial manufacture
Take every opportunity to integrate and apply their understanding and knowledge from other subject areas studied during Key Stage 4, with a particular focus on science and mathematics, and those subjects they are studying alongside A Level Design and Technology

Be open to taking design risks, showing innovation and enterprise while considering their role as responsible designers and citizens
Develop intellectual curiosity about the design and manufacture of products and systems, and their impact on daily life and the wider world
Work collaboratively to develop and refine their ideas, responding to feedback from users, peers and expert practitioners
Gain an insight into the creative, engineering and/or manufacturing industries
Develop the capacity to think creatively, innovatively and critically through focused research and exploration of design opportunities arising from the needs, wants and values of clients/end users
Develop an in-depth knowledge and understanding of materials, components and processes associated with the creation of products that can be tested and evaluated in use
Be able to make informed design decisions through an in-depth understanding of the management and development of taking a design through to a prototype
Be able to create and analyse a design concept and use a range of skills and knowledge from other subject areas, including mathematics and science, to inform decisions in design and the application or development of technology
Be able to work safely and skilfully to produce high-quality prototypes
Have a critical understanding of the wider influences on design and technology, including cultural, economic, environmental, historical and social factors
Develop the ability to draw on and apply a range of skills and knowledge from other subject areas, including the use of mathematics and science for analysis and informing decisions in design.

What examination board does Design and Technology follow?
Further information can be found in the Edexcel A-Level Specification:

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/design-technology-product-design-2017.html

Curriculum Map

Design Technology – Curriculum Map

SMSC

SMSC in Design and Technology at Desborough

Studying D&T has developed my skills of problem solving. I enjoy the challenge of figuring things out and am not afraid to fail. Having the resilience to try again feels even better when I succeed and make the product I designed myself.

George, YR9, brunel

Design Technology

Section Links