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Design & Technology

Head of Technology - Mrs K Coles

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Lower School

Outline of Subject

Design and Technology is concerned with the designing and making of quality products in a variety of materials. Students will experience work in a number of material areas and will learn skills and gain knowledge that will enable them to solve the problems set. We allow students the opportunity to experience the whole cycle of design from the identification of need through design and manufacture, leading to testing and evaluation.

Learning Content

Topic Title

Year

Students will work on a rotation system and will experience each subject area throughout the year.

7

Food & Nutrition

Graphics

Textiles

Resistant Materials

Systems

8

Food & Nutrition

Graphics

Textiles

Resistant Materials

Systems

9

Food & Nutrition

Graphics

Resistant Materials

Systems/Engineering

 

Textiles

Skill Development

Lessons in all of the subject areas are a combination of practical and theoretical activities. We use our time to identify problems, to analyse and investigate the set task, to produce ideas and select a solution to the problem. Products are then manufactured using both hand and machine tools to produce a quality outcome. The products are then tested and evaluated against the original need. Home learning is used to prepare students for the next part of the project either by checking of knowledge or might consist of a research activity, planning or evaluation.

Assessment Styles

Each project is assessed as it progresses and finally at completion of the product the whole module is given a grade. It may be that a student is more proficient in one area of the subject and this is recognised when we look at the overall progress a student has made.

Additional Information

A major part of Design and Technology is in the use of ICT and students are encouraged to use the facilities as often as they can. Many of the programs we use are available through Thornden Cloud. Students will be asked to bring in ingredients for food practical lessons and may be asked for a contribution for other practical work taken home, to cover some of the cost of materials and components.

Upper School

Food Preparation & Nutrition

Exam Board: AQA

Outline of Subject

This course is designed to develop knowledge and understanding of food, nutrition and health; food science; food safety; food choice & food provenance.  Emphasis is placed on developing excellent practical skills whilst safely and hygienically making a variety of both sweet and savoury dishes.  Learners will make connections between theory and practice and apply understanding of food and nutrition when preparing and cooking food.

Course Content

Year Term 1 Term 2 Term 3
10 Cultural street food: Kebabs, soups, filo parcels, goujons & meatballs. Nutrition, seasonality & sustainability Crazy for carbohydrate: Homemade pasta & bread. Apprentice Food Investigation Task 1. Sweet Treats: Puff, choux, Swiss roll. Food safety, hygiene, labelling & packaging of food.
  Luscious layers: Scones, sauces, savoury main courses. Sensory analysis, food trials & time planning. Apprentice Food Preparation Task 2: 3 hour practical exam. Research, menu planning & nutritional analysis. Technical Challenge: Tasting and testing, revision & Year 10 summer exams.
11 NEA* Task 1 Food Investigation Task. NEA* Task 2 Food Preparation Task. Revision & exam preparation.
  NEA* Task 1 & NEA* Task 2 Food Preparation Task. NEA* Task 2 & Revision  

Skill Development

Students will learn a wide range of high level practical cooking skills using a wide range of tools and equipment to make high quality, predominantly healthy and savoury, dishes. Emphasis is placed on learning food science and theory through practical work and some practical lessons will be food experiments.

Assessment

15% NEA (Non examined assessment) Task 1, Food Investigation: Practical assessment and written portfolio.

35% NEA (Non examined assessment) Task 2, Food Preparation Task: 3 hour practical exam and written portfolio.

50% Written exam paper (mixture of multiple choice, and themed 2-12 mark questions).

Additional Information

Students will need to provide their own ingredients for the practical lessons which take place most weeks in Year 10 and as appropriate for the NEA Tasks.

* NEA – Non examined assessment

Design & Technology

Exam Board: Edexcel

Outline of Subject

Design and Technology is concerned with the design and manufacture of products using a range of materials all of which you have encountered already in school. You will choose one area from: graphics, resistant materials, systems and textiles to study in depth along with a core understanding of the other areas.

Course Content

Year Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 3
10 You will work on a project in your chosen subject area. This will involve the design and making of a product; learning and improving skills in the use of hand and machine tools and building up knowledge about your subject area. During the second term you will work on a number of small projects that will concentrate on the core elements of design and technology such as the range of materials open to us, emerging technologies, environmental, social and economic challenges. You will return to your specialist area and continue to prepare for the non-examined assessment (NEA) by practising and developing your skills The contexts for the NEA are published and you can begin your major project in your specialist material area. This moves into year 11.
11 This is when you will complete a major project that will count for 50% of your final mark. The exam board will set a series of contextual challenges from which you choose one based on the subject area you have studied. You will be asked to investigate the context; come up with a series of designs; manufacture the product and then evaluate it.   You will complete a series of revision tasks, that will include practical work based on your chosen material and the core knowledge section of the specification.  

Skill Development

Throughout the course you will be asked to design and make products within a context and with a customer in mind. You will develop realistic proposals and be able to communicate these ideas. You will develop decision making skills, including the planning and organisation of time and resources. You will build a broad knowledge of materials, components and technologies and practical skills to develop high quality, imaginative and functional prototypes.

Assessment

50% of the final grade is based on a project set by the exam board and completed in school in the final year of the course. This project would be completed in your chosen material and is known as the non-examined assessment (NEA)

The other 50% of the grade is based on a written exam of different styles including graphical, calculations and open response questions.

Additional Information

Throughout the course you will be predominately working in your chosen subject area but you will need to have a core knowledge of the whole subject. We will always try and link our work to that of industry and you will be encouraged to use information technology extensively throughout the course.

* NEA – Non examined assessment

Engineering

Exam Board: AQA

Outline of Subject

Engineering is about the design and manufacture of products using a range of materials. It is about creating and developing ideas quickly to solve Engineering problems, finding out how products work and how they are manufactured. You will apply Mathematical and Scientific principles to Engineering problems, explore ideas and model them using ICT, whilst also developing practical skills with hands on construction techniques and explore different solutions in different materials.

Course Content

Year Term 1 Term 2 Term 3
10 You will work on a number of FPT’s (Focused Practical Tasks) to explore the Engineering materials and Manufacturing processes covered in the specification. i.e.Students manufacture a selection of tools, enabling them to cover the different manufacturing and engineering skills. You will investigate structures to include practical testing and investigation. You will learn about the impact of modern technologies. You will learn about Electronic and Mechanical Systems, producing small engineered practical outcomes, including programable electronic circuits and you will undertake some electronic programming.

You will develop your engineering knowledge looking at engineering sectors.

You will start to complete a major project that will count for 40% of your final mark. The exam board will set a contextual challenge.
11

You will continue with your major project that will count for 40% of your final mark. The exam board will set a series of contextual challenges. You will be asked to investigate the context, then design and make an engineered product to include testing and investigation and practical engineering skills.

 You will complete a series of revision tasks in preparation for the exam which is 60% of the GCSE. This will include a range of maths and sciencebased examination type questions relating to Engineering.

Skill Development

Emphasis of the GCSE Engineering course is in the manufacture and development of products to Industrial Engineering standard. High practical, organisational & safety skills will need to be acquired to gain higher grades. The course is divided into the following areas: Engineering materials; Engineering manufacturing processes; Systems; Testing and investigation; The impact of modern technologies and Practical engineering skills.

Assessment

40% of the final grade is based on a project set by the exam board and completed in school in the final year of the course. This project would be completed in the school workshop and is known as the non examined assessment (NEA). The other 60% of the grade is based on a written exam of different styles including calculations and open response questions, students will need to apply their understanding of these in relation to practical contexts.

Additional Information

15% of this course will be the theoretical and practical application of Mathematics and Science. It is advised that you have an appreciation of Engineering and Design. We will always try and link our work to that of industry and you will be encouraged to use IT extensively throughout the course to present your work, use CADCM to help design and manufacture products and to program components.

* NEA – Non examined assessment