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The design and technology curriculum aims to inspire students with the power and value of design and the role it plays in shaping people and the planet. Through understanding that the world of tomorrow is shaped by the emerging design and technology of today, students will develop an appreciation for design and creativity and the unique part it plays in shaping the world around us – furniture, fashion, buildings, apps, graphic design – all has been designed.
In design and technology, we ensure all of our students have a rich design knowledge through designerly learning. We teach students the design tools they need to tackle real world problems and challenges to become informed and confident designers, consumers and citizens in the modern world, equipping students with a design awareness. The curriculum develops students’ capability as designers and encourages and challenges students to think and act like designers by learning design through doing design. At the heart of the curriculum, students learn about and use design thinking through human-centered design to develop innovative and intelligent design solutions by applying design principles to everyday life. The curriculum also encourages students to engage with the design practice of innovative and future-looking designers and innovators, understanding design in today’s world. Students learn how to take risks, be resourceful and enterprising, making an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and wellbeing of the world.
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Principles of design |
Design communication and presentation |
The design process |
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Design thinking (V&A Innovate – National Schools Challenge |
Product assembly and production methods |
New and emerging technologies |
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Assessment:
Throughout Year 7 and Year 8, students’ knowledge and skills are assessed through opportunities to demonstrate their design capability through a mixture of end of unit multiple choice and written questions on designing and making, design analysis questions, design tasks and challenges in addition to assessment of design work and practical outcomes.
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Market opportunities and enterprise in design |
Producing functional prototypes (timbers) |
User-centered and empathetic design |
Producing functional prototypes (electronics & textiles) |
Sustainable design and environmental issues in design & manufacture |
Practice non-exam assessment (NEA) |
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Students will... Further build on their knowledge of the design process, with a deeper understanding of iterative design and marketing and enterprise when developing new products. |
Students will… Develop more in depth knowledge and understanding of timber based materials and manufacturing techniques.
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Students will… Develop knowledge and understanding of designing for a range of users and their needs and wants and further developing their design communication and presentation skills and knowledge. |
Students will… Develop more in depth knowledge and understanding of textiles and electronics based materials and manufacturing techniques. |
Students will… Further develop their knowledge and understanding of sustainability and environmental factors when designing and making. |
Students will… Apply their knowledge and skills taught over the year to a practice NEA design challenge that will allow students demonstrate their learning and capability in designing and making. |
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Contemporary and innovative design |
Producing functional prototypes (papers, boards and polymers) |
Industrial production techniques and systems |
Human factors in design |
Understanding users, needs and design contexts
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Live NEA: Identifying and investigating design possibilities |
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Students will… Develop their knowledge and understanding of new design approaches and ideas used in contemporary design and how designs are inspired. |
Students will… Develop further in depth knowledge and understanding of paper, card and polymer based materials and manufacturing techniques. |
Students will… Develop knowledge and understanding of manufacturing and different scales of production when making. |
Students will… develop further in depth knowledge and understanding of key human factors that need to be considered when designing. |
Students will… Develop further in depth knowledge of users and identifying needs and wants for designing. |
Students will… Start their live non-exam assessment when design challenges are released by the exam board on 1st June. This NEA work will form 50% of their final grade. Students will complete research and a design specification. |
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Live NEA: Generating design ideas |
Live NEA: Realising design ideas |
Live NEA: Analysing and evaluating solutions |
Exam revision and preparation |
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Students will… Develop design solutions to address a problem/situation. Students will complete their design ideas and design development work.
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Students will… Produce appropriate and functional prototypes. Students will complete making for their developed design to produce a 3D outcome. |
Students will… Evaluate design ideas/solutions. Students will complete any making still to be done and will also complete testing and evaluation of final product. |
Students will… Prepare for the final written exam, covering revision of key content and exam technique. |
Assessment:
Throughout Years 9, 10 and 11, students’ knowledge and skills are assessed through opportunities to demonstrate their design capability through a mixture of end of short end of unit written exam papers with questions on designing and making knowledge and design portfolios consisting of research, design and development work and practical outcomes and prototypes.
The final assessment for GCSE D&T includes a non-exam assessment (NEA) where students will complete a design and make project for given contexts, which will account for 50% of the final grade. The other 50% of the final grade will be through a 2-hour written exam paper, assessing students’ designing and making knowledge learnt throughout the course.
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Design methods and processes |
Modern industrial and commercial manufacturing |
Influences on design and manufacture |
Product development and improvement |
Live NEA: Identifying and investigating design possibilities |
Live NEA: Development of design proposals |
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Students will… Understand in greater depth professional approaches to designing and how designers work. |
Students will… Understand the professional practices and systems of modern manufacturing of products in industry. |
Students will… Understand the key factors and considerations when designing and manufacturing products professionally. |
Students will… Understand how to effectively develop design proposals using different techniques and processes and develop a prototype for manufacture. |
Students will… Identify user needs and wants through research. Students will complete their research into problem/ situation, brief & specification. |
Students will… Generate a design proposal to address a problem/ situation. Students will complete their initial design ideas work.
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Live NEA: Development of design proposals |
Live NEA: Development of design prototypes |
Live NEA: Analysing and evaluating solutions |
Exam revision and preparation |
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Students will… Develop design proposals to address a problem/situation. Students will complete their design ideas and design development work. |
Students will… Produce appropriate and functional prototypes. Students will complete making for their developed design to produce a 3D outcome. |
Students will… Evaluate design ideas/solutions. Students will complete any making still to be done and will also complete testing and evaluation of final product.
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Students will… Prepare for the final written exam, covering revision of key content and exam technique. |
Assessment:
Throughout Years 12 and 13, students’ knowledge and skills are assessed through opportunities to demonstrate their design capability through a mixture of end of short end of unit written exam papers with questions on designing and making knowledge and design portfolios consisting of research, design and development work and practical outcomes and prototypes.
The final assessment for GCSE D&T includes a non-exam assessment (NEA) where students will complete a design and make project for an independently chosen design problem/context, which will account for 50% of the final grade. The other 50% of the final grade will be through two written exam papers, assessing students’ designing and making knowledge learnt throughout the course.
Extra-curricular opportunities
We offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities and experiences to enhance students’ learning across all year groups and provide opportunities for students to showcase their talent and creative flair, including:
Our department also regularly takes place in national design competitions with students from all key stages and in 2019, students took part in the Design Museum’s ‘Design Ventura’ competition, as well as the V&A’s ‘Innovate’ design challenge. We are incredibly proud that a group of our Year 9 GCSE D&T students were shortlisted in the Top 10 entries nationally for the 2019 Design Ventura Competition, coming 3rd place from over 16,000 students who took part nationally and in 2020, students won ‘Most Market Ready Product’. Our students have also twice won the ‘Student Choice Award’ for the V&A Museum’s ‘Innovate’ National Schools Challenge in 2020 and 2021.
Uptake and exam results
Both GCSE Design & Technology and A-level D&T: Product Design are popular and successful subjects. At both GCSE and A-level, students consistently achieve above the national average for the percentage of students who achieve a 9-4 grade at GCSE or A*-C at A-level. In our 2022 A-level results, our students were in the top 1% nationally for value added progress. Many of our students then go on to study design related courses at university or go into design related apprenticeships following their exam success.
Facilities
Our accommodation consists of a range of modern facilities which are being continually developed to ensure that our students have the very best environment for learning. Our excellent facilities include a large Workshop/Makerspace with a wide range of tools and machinery; a multi-purpose Fab (Fabrication) Lab with a variety of CNC machinery including a laser cutter and 3D printer as well as sewing machines and a sixth form study area; a recently refurbished digital design studio with touch screen computers and iPads; a state of the art catering kitchen; a Design and Inspiration Library full of books, resources and products for students to use in lessons.
