Design & Technology involves students developing their knowledge, skills and understanding of the technological and creative world in which we live.  Students will experience working with a variety of materials, processes, tools and equipment to design and create original products. Your son will acquire knowledge, understanding and expertise within Design & Technology through a variety of investigative, analysis, design, graphical, make and evaluation tasks.  The emphasis in year 7 is on acquiring and developing a range of practical skills to take forward through Key Stage 3 and beyond.

Content during the Year 7 Rotation includes:

• –  Motion and Mechanisms
• –   Materials Analysis (Woods)
• –   Health and Safety
• –   Tools and Machines
• –   Manufacturing Processes
• –   Corporate Identity (Logos and Slogans)
• –   Packaging Investigation
• –   Evaluation Skills
• –   Practical Skills related to making a toy train and producing the packaging for the train.

Design & Technology involves students developing further the knowledge and skills acquired in Year 7.  Students are encouraged to become more independent learners through creative thinking, designing and making using a variety of materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to create original products. Students are given the opportunities to work with various materials including woods and plastics, together with the use of CAD / CAM to produce quality outcomes using industrial recognised processes.

Content during the Year 8 Rotation includes:

• –   Design Styles Analysis
• –   Materials Analysis
• –   Existing Products Analysis
• –   Design Investigation
• –   CAD theory and development
• –   3D Modelling skills
• –   Planning for production
• –   Evaluation Skills
• –   Practical Skills related to making a Clock in the style of a design group such as Bauhaus, De Stijl or Memphis, full scale and fully functional.

Design Technology encompasses all the learning experiences from Years 7 and 8, enabling students to experience a range of activities that mirror many of the subjects on offer at GCSE including the use of computing.  Students will undertake work in Product Design and Engineering through manipulating various materials using a range of processes including CAD / CAM to design and make products.  Students will acquire knowledge, understanding and skills in a range of specialist subjects which will be available for them to study at GCSE.

Content during the Year 9 Rotation includes:

• –   Photoshop Skills
• –   Sketchup (3D modelling) Skills
• –   Use of 2D Design / Cura (Design Programmes) to create files for manufacture
• –   Design work
• Practical Task
• –   Evaluation skills
• –   Setting up and monitoring CAD/CAM machinery (including Laser Cutter and 3D Printer)

Students are taught GCSE Design & Technology (AQA 8552) over a two year period and will be assessed through the following criteria.

FINAL GCSE GRADING IS TAKEN FROM THE FOLLOWING:

• COURSEWORK content NEA (50% FINAL GRADE)
• FINAL EXAM – 2 hours (50% FINAL GRADE)

Students complete a variety of skills and theory in Year 10 to prepare students for their NEA undertaken in Y11.

• Term 1: Drawing, Rendering and CAD, (Drawing and rendering in pencil, coloured pencil, fine liner. Use of Sketch Up and ProDesktop).
• Term 2: Making skills (Develop joint making in wood, finishing skills and working with plastics. Produce a phone speaker.
• Term 3: Theory work, Past paper questions (including Controlled Assessment Preparation). Students to be introduced to theory tasks including preparation for the Y11 coursework task

Much of Y11 is taken up by the NEA, a design and make project given by AQA at the end of Y10.

The rest of the time includes focused theory lessons and interactive practical learning activities.

• Term 1: Controlled Assessment task – Coursework Assignment as outlined by AQA guidelines. Students have a choice of projects and will produce an e-portfolio in accordance to the mark scheme.
• Term 2: Controlled Assessment task – Coursework Assignment as outlined by AQA guidelines. Students have a choice of projects and will produce an e-portfolio and final model in accordance to the mark scheme.
• Term 3: Exam preparation (revision material). Students to prepare for the 2 hour final exam.

Design and Technology (AQA Product Design 7552).

Students have five lessons per week over a two year period and will be assessed through the following criteria.

FINAL AS / A2 GRADING IS TAKEN FROM THE FOLLOWING:

• COURSEWORK (PER YEAR) (50% FINAL GRADE)
• 2 HOUR EXAM (PER YEAR) (50% FINAL GRADE)

Year  12

• Theory tasks, past papers, interactive practical learning.
• Individual Design and Make project work (e-portfolio) and final model. Collected in over set deadline dates through the year. Marked as a Controlled Assessment.

• Theory tasks, past papers, interactive practical learning.
• Individual Design and Make project work (e-portfolio) and final model. Collected in over set deadline dates through the year. Marked as a Controlled Assessment.