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Design & Technology
Back“Design and Technology is a phenomenally important subject. Logical, creative and practical, it is the only opportunity students have to apply what they learn in Maths and Science – directly preparing them for a careers in engineering, product design and manufacturing. Design and Technology appeals to the brightest of young minds.” – James Dyson
At Nunnery Wood, design and technology inspires students to be independent problem solvers and creative thinkers that develop practical skills for life. We want our students to enjoy their work in design and technology and we strive to offer a diverse range of curriculum opportunities for students to experience, both in and out of the classroom, giving all students the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Design and technology students have the ability to investigate a problem, use their creative skills to generate and develop different ideas into a final solution and evaluate and modify their work through the design cycle. Design and technology students are confident, creative and have a passion for designing and making. They show compassion and respect for others through a wide range of independent and team tasks.
Design and technology combines practical and technological skills with creative thinking to encourage students to work with a range of multimedia materials, learn about new materials and technologies, and investigate these materials practically. Students learn how to use a wide range of hand tools and workshop machines to bring their ideas to life. We want students to question why and how products are designed and how they work, giving students the opportunity to design and make their own innovative products.
The design and technology curriculum at Nunnery Wood prepares students to participate confidently and successfully in an increasingly technological world, learning how designers and makers work in industry. Students gain awareness and learn from wider influences in design and technology including, new technological advances, sustainability, historical, social, cultural, and economic factors. The design and technology curriculum is specifically designed with our students in mind, supporting all abilities and links to our focus on oracy and the SMSC curriculum. We give students the opportunity to work creatively when designing and making, and encourage them to apply technical and practical expertise to their work.
The design and technology department equips students with the skills and knowledge to be problem solvers, creative thinkers and develop practical skills that can be applied to everyday life. The team’s passion and enthusiasm for the subject allows student to take risks with their ideas, challenge their production skills and have the confidence and self-esteem to take risks. Students of all abilities have the opportunity to flourish in design technology and the subject prepares them for further education, apprenticeships and training in the local area.
Ultimately, our vision is to inspire the technologists of tomorrow. To provide students with the opportunity to develop a love for designing and making that can last a lifetime.
Context of the Subject
The study of Design and Technology shows us how our world works and allows us to reflect on how the world is changing. It is like a never ending carousel, continually moving and responding to the world around it.
Design and Technology aims to produce the technologists of tomorrow. Pupils combine practical and technological skills with creative thinking to design and make interesting and innovative products. Students study how to work with a range of multimedia materials, learning about new materials and technologies and investigating practically how and why products work. We want all students to be equipped with a range of creative, practical and transferable skills along with a questioning and enquiring mind to challenge the accepted and push for innovation.
Staffing Structure
Acting Curriculum Leader: Mr J Martin
Email: j.martin@nunnerywood.worcs.sch.uk
Phone: 01905 363639
Team Structure
1 CL
2 full time teachers
1 dept TA
1 part time technician
Curriculum Facilities
The Design and Technology Department has 3 multimedia workshops, a state of the art ICT suite and a central Design Hub. We have a range of state-of-the-art CAM machines, including a laser cutter, CAMM1 machine and a 3D printer.
KS3
KS3 Description of the key skills, knowledge and understanding that are a prime focus of KS3 teaching in the subject area
In design and technology, pupils combine practical and technological skills with creative thinking to design and make products and systems that meet human needs. They learn to use current technologies and consider the impact of future technological developments. They learn to think creatively and intervene to improve the quality of life, solving problems as individuals and members of a team.
Key Concepts – The Starting Point for Planning
Designing and Making
Cultural Understanding
Creativity
Critical Evaluation
Key Processes
Generate, develop, model, communicate…
Respond creatively…
Apply knowledge and understanding…
Use their understanding of others’ designing to inform their own…
Plan and organise…
Evaluate tools and equipment…
Solve technical problems…
Reflect critically…
The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to:
Analyse products
Undertake Focused Tasks
Engage in Design & Make Assignment
Work Individually or in Teams
Work with Designers and Makers
Use ICT as appropriate
Make Links with Other Subjects and Areas of the Curriculum
Organisation of the KS3 curriculum and how students are assessed (brief summary of long term plan of units and very approximate timings.
Students in Year 7, 8 and 9 complete a range of designing and making practical tasks and projects during the course of each year (1 hour per week). The timescale for each project is variable across the year.
Each unit of work is assessed at the end of the project or on average, once per half term. Students can be assessed in the following areas:
Research
Idea Generation
Development of Ideas
Manufacturing
Evaluation
KS3 Description of the key skills, knowledge and understanding that are a prime focus of KS3 teaching in the subject area.
The KS3 curriculum at Nunnery Wood is designed to inspire students to be independent problem solvers and creative thinkers whilst developing practical skills for life. It is designed to allow all students to access exciting and challenging activities that prepare them for the rigours of GCSE assessment and the life of a design engineer as well as life skills for the modern world.
To this end, students will study a range of creative, problem solving, design and manufacturing skills across a range of traditional and modern media, as well as developing skills in Cultural Understanding, Creativity and Critical Evaluation. They learn to use current technologies and consider the impact of future technological developments. They learn to think creatively and intervene to improve the quality of life, solving problems as individuals and members of a team.
A key focus will be placed on autonomous problem-solving skills, allowing students to become independent thinkers who can find solutions to a variety of problems. In addition to this, students will engage in teamwork exercises where they learn to debate and negotiate to develop practical and creative outcomes. The curriculum aims to deliver this through experiences in design, drawing and presentation skills, research and development, computer aided design and manufacture, traditional hand and power tools as well as a variety of media from wood and plastics to electronics and systems. Year 7 students will begin by becoming confident across a range of tools, processes and concepts: exploring a new world of technology through a range of 2D and 3D tasks. All are introduced and a large emphasis is placed on health and safety along with risk assessment and management. These skills are further developed through Year 8 and students are encouraged to become more independent with the new skills they have acquired. In Year 9, students are encouraged to blend all their skills and apply their knowledge to direct their own designing. The curriculum moves to a greater alignment with KS4, thus preparing students for either progression to GCSE or competence in skills essential to living in the real world.
Organisation of the KS3 curriculum and how students are assessed.
Students are assessed throughout KS3 in a variety of ways. Each unit has a progress tracker that allows students to understand key skills. These are assessed at the end of each unit and help to drive students targets for subsequent work. Alongside this, students receive regular individual feedback both verbally and written that they respond to, to improve their work. The KS3 curriculum provides a range of projects that help develop students’ key skills as below;
Design and Technology - KS3 section
Units of work each last approximately one term in Year 7 and 8, and one and a half terms in Year 9
Year 7
The Acrylic Whale. Introduction to design and technology. Health and safety and the use of basic tools such as coping saws, pillar drills, hegner saws, files, glass paper, strip heater
CAD CAM Headphone wrap. An introduction to Research and development of design concepts and the use of industrial techniques such as computer aided design and computer aided manufacture. Sustainability is a key concept for this project.
Jitterbug. An introduction to creativity, design presentation skills and electronics including the use of soldering irons.
Year 8
Electronic Mood Light. This project allows the development of both electronics where students must complete a simple circuit with a variety of components, computer aided design and computer aided manufacture skills. Students will consider how electronic circuits work and the function of each component.
Pop-Up Celebration Card. This allows students to show off their creativity and develop presentation skills alongside enhancing 3D modelling skills though card. Students are encouraged to use research as a tool for design alongside developing ideas through 3D modelling.
Wooden Money Box. The traditional and modern world collide as students develop their practical skills by producing a wooden money box with finger joints. The project is enhanced using computer aided design and computer aided manufacture to create a high-quality front that takes the form of a book cover.
Year 9
Laminated Clock. This project enables student to look at the world of commercial manufacturing and how we manufacture in large quantities. It allows them to consider how the range of skills they have developed can be integrated to improve the quality of their products. Students are encouraged to make their own choices throughout the design and manufacture of their clock.
Imaginative desk lamp. This project draws together all the KS3 skills in one place for students to produce a high quality, commercially viable product. Each student is responsible for how they design, model, develop and finally realise their lamp. All key skills are used and this project, all students produce work that is comparable to KS4 work.
Sources of information that may be useful
www.technologystudent.com
KS4 - Year 10 & 11: GCSE Design and Technology (AQA 8552)
KS4 Description of the key skills, knowledge and understanding that are a prime focus of KS4 teaching in the subject area
GCSE Design and Technology prepares students to participate confidently and successfully in an increasingly technological world. Students gain awareness and learn from wider influences on Design and Technology including historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic factors. Students get the opportunity to work creatively when designing and making and apply technical and practical expertise.
GCSE Design and Technology allows students to study core technical and designing and making principles, including a broad range of design processes, materials techniques and equipment. They will also have the opportunity to study specialist technical principles in greater depth.
Core Technical Principles: In order to make effective design choices students will need a breadth of core technical knowledge and understanding that consists of:
• New and emerging technologies
• Energy generation and storage
• Developments in new materials
• Systems approach to designing
• Mechanical devices
• Materials and their working properties
Specialist Technical Principles: All students should develop an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the following specialist technical principles:
• Selection of materials and components
• Forces and stresses
• Ecological and social footprint
• Sources and origins
• Using and working with materials
• Stock forms, types and sizes
• Scales of production
• Specialist techniques and processes
• Surface treatments and finishes
Designing and Making Principles: Students should know and understand that all design and technology activities take place within a wide range of contexts. They should also understand how the prototypes they develop must satisfy wants or needs and be fit for their intended use. For example, the home, school, work or leisure. They will need to demonstrate and apply knowledge and understanding of designing and making principles in relation to the following areas:
• Investigation, primary and secondary data
• Environmental, social and economic challenge
• The work of others
• Design strategies
• Communication of design ideas
• Prototype development
• Selection of materials and components
• Tolerances
• Material management
• Specialist tools and equipment
• Specialist techniques and processes
Organisation of the KS4 curriculum (brief summary of long term plan of units and very approximate timings)
Year 10: Non exam assessment (NEA) mini project (October – May)
Exam preparation (ongoing)
End of unit exam preparation tests (half termly)
June: start final NEA project
Year 10 exam: 2 hours
Year 11 (from 2018): continue NEA project (deadline March)
Exam preparation (ongoing)
End of unit exam preparation tests (half termly)
X2 mock exams (2 hours each)
Assessment
Written exam: 2 hours
100 marks
50% of GCSE
Questions
Section A – Core technical principles (20 marks)
A mixture of multiple choice and short answer questions assessing a breadth of technical knowledge and understanding.
Section B – Specialist technical principles (30 marks)
Several short answer questions (2–5 marks) and one extended response to assess a more in depth knowledge of technical principles.
Section C – Designing and making principles (50 marks)
A mixture of short answer and extended response questions.
Non-exam assessment (NEA) 30-35 hours approx..
100 marks
50% of GCSE
Task(s)
- Substantial design and make task
- Assessment criteria:
- Identifying and investigating design possibilities
- Producing a design brief and specification
- Generating design ideas
- Developing design ideas
- Realising design ideas
- Analysing & evaluating
- In the spirit of the iterative design process, the above should be awarded holistically where they take place and not in a linear manner
- Contextual challenges to be released annually by AQA on 1 June in the year prior to the submission of the NEA
- Students will produce a prototype and a portfolio of evidence
Sources of information that may be useful
www.aqa.org.uk
www.technologystudent.com
