Team

The Design Technology (DT) Department is split into three separate areas of study per term:

• Food Technology
• Resistant Materials & Control
• Textiles

There is a team of teachers delivering these lessons across the different curriculum areas, with the support of an experienced team of teaching assistants.

 

Achievement & Progress

During KS3, Design Technology lessons are rotated on a carousel basis termly between food technology, textiles and resistant materials & control.

Pupils develop skills in a variety of areas, specific to the area they are working in. Pupils learn about developing their own initial ideas into final pieces of work, evaluating and setting themselves targets for the next project. Within food technology they develop skills that can be taken forward into everyday life.

 

Curriculum Overview

Food Technology

The aims of the Food Technology Team are to promote and encourage an understanding of a healthy balanced diet, whilst practising a range of cooking methods, techniques and skills. This provides the students with the confidence, knowledge and independence to plan, prepare and cook a range of meals and recipes. An emphasis is placed upon the practical development of skills and knowledge. Students will tend to cook most weeks whilst covering food technology.

There are a range of cooking skills which are taught all through KS3 which are refined and developed as the students build upon their cooking experiences. Some of these skills include:

Using basic tools & equipment; safe & hygienic working practices; weighing; measuring; preparing foodstuffs; using an oven, grill & hob; peeling, chopping and grating; boiling; rubbing in; creaming; pastry making.

If pupils wish to develop their skills further within food technology, there is an accredited option available in KS4 of hospitality & catering.

Resistant Materials and Control

This area gives pupils opportunities to try a range of materials to create personalised items and to learn and develop new skills in each area. Control is also covered within ICT using Using probots; programming probots and movement sequences; components of a computer – input/ output; hardware/software and storage devices.

Year 7:

Plan, design and create bridges.

Tech card project: Junk modelling – plan, design and build moving toys using cams, axels & wheels.

Year 8:

Plan, design and create ‘FIMO’ keyrings.

Tech card project: Plan, design and create moving models based around levers, gears and pulleys and using pneumatic air systems.

Year 9:

Plan, design and create polymorph clocks.

Tech card project: Plan, design & create moving models based around mechanisms.

Textiles:

Pupils have the opportunity to plan, do and review their own work learning a range of techniques to incorporate into their products.

Year 7:

Develop their knowledge about fabrics and where they come from.

Develop knowledge about weaving using different tools.

Plan, design and create their own plush toy.

Year 8:

Plan, design and create their own calico tote bag.

Learn how to use a sewing machine and develop skills into their own work.

Year 9:

Plan, design and create their own mini cushion/pillow.

Learn how to develop designs using embellishments/colour magnet/fabric dye/sewing machines/fabric paints etc.

Continue to develop skills using a sewing machine.