The intent of the Design and Technology curriculum is to develop students that: are confident designers and makers, have the courage to try new things, use intuition as well as logic to make decisions and produce ideas, are expressive and willing to share what they feel and think, have a need to find solutions to challenging problems and are willing to test new ideas.

Students will have the opportunity to experience a balanced and varied curriculum participating in a wide variety of activities. Making skills and creative thinking will be explored in order to design and make innovative products that meet a specified range of needs.  Students will develop a lifelong love of being creative, drawing and making using a wide variety of materials and techniques. They will develop the transferable skills of problem solving, organisation and time-management, planning and communication.

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Key Stage 3

Lessons are creative, experimental, practical, progressive and differentiated. They will be challenging whilst supporting the needs of all students. The projects are designed to introduce students to safe conduct in the workshop and cover a wide range of fundamental skills.  Students will learn basic drawing and rendering techniques and consider the impact of Computer Aided Design and Manufacture on the design industry.  They will gain confidence working in a range of resistant materials including plastic, metal and wood and using a variety of hand tools and workshop machinery.  

Throughout Key Stage 3 students will explore a wide variety of design and practical techniques embedding theoretical knowledge through practical outcomes. During each year, we embed four strands of knowledge. These strands will weave throughout KS3 and continue into KS4.

Primarily, our ambition is to educate students in the world of design, construction and product development through exploring and being creative with a wide variety of materials and techniques. Students are encouraged to take risks and put pencil to paper.

 

Key Stage 4

At Key Stage 4 students can opt to follow GCSE Art & Design: Three-Dimensional Design, Edexcel. 

At KS4 we aim to build on the positive experiences and knowledge students have developed though KS3. In years 10 and 11 students have opportunities to access a wider variety of practical skills including ceramics, jewellery construction and techniques and architecture alongside some that continue from KS3. Students are encouraged to become independent as the journey of exploration progresses.

 

At the beginning of Year 10 students undertake an Introductory and Development Phase where they explore the starting point Creative Constraints. The remainder of the year and moving into Year 11 focuses primarily on students' Portfolios.