Design and Technology

“Technology is the campfire around which we tell our stories. – Laurie Anderson”

“Design is thinking made visual.” – Saul Bass

“Cooking is all about people. Food is maybe the only universal thing that really has the power to bring everyone together. No matter what culture, everywhere around the world, people eat together.” – Guy Fieri

Click here for Technology curriculum outline

Why do we study Design and Technology?

The design and technology curriculum is intended to nurture our students’ creativity, imagination and develop long lasting practical skills. Students get the exciting opportunity to work on various projects, using a range of materials and equipment to design and make products that often link to real life scenarios and push students to use their problem solving skills. Students are able to experience first hand the relevance of good planning and designing to help them realise successful practical outcomes, whilst continuously reviewing their work to enable them to further progress.

Design & Technology also offers opportunities for students to develop self-knowledge: they build skills in evaluating themselves and target setting; they develop an understanding of their role and place within the wider world and they explore their role as learners, such as learning how to learn. The Technology curriculum at Studley High School has been formulated to provide students with a broad and diverse range of learning experiences that develop student’s capabilities, confidence and understanding across key sought after disciplines such as art, science, engineering, ICT and mathematics.

Design Technology programme of study at Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9)

The Design and Technology curriculum has been formulated to allow students to: develop an interest, curiosity, enjoyment and confidence in investigating a variety of processes and techniques through practical exploration to become independent learners; have an awareness and appreciation of the technological developments in the world around us and investigating how and where we could use these in development of our own practical tasks; identify and solve problems, undertake research, organise and sustain independent practical work to completion developing a sense of achievement, self-awareness and fulfilment in the creation of products; develop self-knowledge as learners, producers and consumers, and as thinking and feeling young people with the developing ability to take responsibility for the direction of their learning through the adoption of effective working practices in a vocational context.

In order to support a broad and balanced curriculum, in Key Stage 3 students study food technology, graphics and resistant materials on a rotational basis. This ensures that students follow the key components of investigation, design, practical making and evaluation.

In Year 7, students study 3 subject areas on a 12 week rotation as follows:

Graphics – Technical drawing skills/ design inspired greetings cards
RM – Developing woodwork skills/Upcycle project
Food and Nutrition – Introduction to Food Preparation and Nutrition

In Year 8, students study 3 subject areas on a 12 week rotation as follows:

Graphics – Branding/logo project
RM – Design movements jewellery making project
Food & Nutrition: Developing Skills in Food Preparation and Nutrition

During Year 9 students will work on a catering project instead of a graphics project as this will give them yet another experience of DT and help them understand the different options in Key Stage 4.

In Year 9, students study 3 subject areas on an 8 week rotation as follows:

Taster ‘GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition’ – including food science experimentation, understanding the nutritional needs of teenagers as well as further developing food preparation skills.

Taster ‘GCSE Design & Technology’ – Environmental issues and material categories and properties – with practical making that incorporates various different materials and techniques using various tools.

Taster ‘WJEC L1/2 Hospitality and Catering’ – The hospitality industry – The structure of the industry including job roles and responsibilities and what it takes for a business to be successful.

In the Summer Term of Year 9 students have a further rotation where all students will cover: Food/Catering, DT model making and DT Design Development.

Technology programme of study at Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)

Students will be able to choose an option from the following 3 Technology courses;

AQA GCSE Food preparation and Nutrition

Through theory and practical lessons students will study:

Food, nutrition and health
Food science
Food safety
Food choice
Food provenance

Through practicals they will learn a range of preparation, cooking and presentation skills.

This will prepare them for both the NEA1 and NEA2 coursework (which together is worth 50% of the final GCSE grade) and the written exam, (also worth 50% of the final grade).

WJEC L1/2 Hospitality and Catering

Students will look in more detail at:

How the Hospitality and Catering Industry operates and how to propose different options
How food can cause ill health, Health and Safety and how to plan a menu

Through practicals they will learn a range of preparation, cooking and presentation skills. This will prepare them for their NEA project (60%) and their written exam (40%).

AQA GCSE Design and Technology

Students will study the following 3 topics both through projects that incorporate both practical and theoretical learning experiences:

Core technical principles
Specialist technical principles
Designing and making principles

This will prepare them for both the NEA coursework (worth 50% of the final GCSE grade) and the written exam, (also worth 50% of the final grade).

Homework expectations

Homework is an important aspect of our curriculum. Not only does it offer the opportunity for students to consolidate their learning within lessons, it also offers a chance for them to enhance their understanding of key topics and fundamental Design Technology skills outside of the classroom.

Key Stage 3

In all areas students will be asked to complete two pieces of homework per rotation. This includes: researching into famous designers, investigating materials or using their drawing/designing skills, sourcing ingredients and investigating specific questions.

Key Stage 4

Revision for topics covered in Years 10 and 11 can include the following:

– Using online resources such as Seneca, in which students will be set specific topics to study and this can then be seen by the classroom teacher to check that a student has understood the work and how much work is being completed.

– Completing quizzes and tests

– Research assignments

– Set videos and quizzes on BBC Bitesize

How can parents and carers support at home?

Food and Catering:

Students can be supported by ensuring ingredients are prepared ready for the practical lessons. Students will also need to bring suitable named containers to take food home.

It would be useful to read through and discuss the recipes to ensure students understand how they will complete the practical.

Some students find it helpful to practice recipes in advance. Cooking at home can help a student build confidence and independence whilst practicing skills and dishes they have learnt in school.

Design Technology (including Graphics)

Students will be completing design based tasks, so it is important for students to have the basic equipment for both lessons and homework; HB pencil, eraser, pencil sharpener, ruler, protractor, compass and pencil crayons.

Practising skills learnt in the classroom can be very helpful, such as drawing 3D shapes, perspective drawing and isometric drawing. This can simply be done watching Youtube drawing videos or asking for the worksheets in class.

Useful websites for revision:

GCSE Food Preparation & Nutrition:

GCSE Home Economics: Food and Nutrition (CCEA)

Food | GCSE | Food Preparation and Nutrition

Food a fact of life 14 – 16 Years

Explore Food – Main Menu (nutritional calculator)

British Nutrition Foundation

GCSE Design and Technology:

AQA Design and Technology

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/examspecs/zby2bdm

WJEC L1/2 Hospitality and Catering:

Wjec Hospitality and Catering