Design and Technology

With the exception of nature, everything around us has been designed! We aim to equip students with the skills and knowledge to allow them to successfully complete a range of design and making projects within computer aided and traditional workshop environments. We also aim to develop students’ technical understanding of materials, techniques and the social and moral obligations of a designer. Through doing this, students will develop transferable life skills and skills to enter the world of work.

Use the page navigation on the left to navigate between year groups. The strands indicated in bold illustrate, for each topic, how the key strands of learning develop over time. Clicking on these will highlight that strand only.

Year 7

Core Technical Principles

New and Emerging Technologies - Use of 2D design
Introduction to laser cutter
Mechanical Devices - Types of movement, levers, gears
Systems - Simple circuits, input, processes and outputs

Specialist Technical Principles

Timber- based Materials - Bird feeder making
Categories of timber
Sources and origins
Polymers - Mirror – strip heater
Injection moulding
Using and working with polymers

Designing and Making Principles

Environmental, Social, Economic Challenge - The "6 Rs"
The Work of Others - Memphis
Communication of Design Ideas - Key ring – isometric
Bird feeder – isometric
Bird Feeder – basic orthographic

Year 8

Core Technical Principles

New and Emerging Technologies - Advanced 2D design
Advanced use of laser cutter
3D printing
Developments in New Materials - Modern and smart materials categories
Materials and their Working Properties - Metals and alloys categories

Specialist Technical Principles

Timber- based Materials - Container making
Finishes
Polymers - Maze game – blister packaging
Scales of Production -

Designing and Making Principles

The Work of Others - Alessi
Communication of Design Ideas - 1&2 point perspective
Cross sections
Exploded Drawings

Year 9

Core Technical Principles

New and Emerging Technologies - Autodesk inventor
Industry, enterprise, sustainability, people, culture, systems
Energy Generation and Storage - Fossil fuels, nuclear power, renewable energy, storage
Developments in New Materials - Properties of modern, smart, composite and technical textiles
Systems Approach to Designing - MP3 circuit manufacture
Inputs, processes, outputs

Specialist Technical Principles

Timber- based Materials - MP3 casing making

Designing and Making Principles

Design Strategies - MP3 designs avoiding fixation
Communication of Design Ideas - Desk tidy – isometric
Desk tidy - exploded

Year 10

Core Technical Principles

New and Emerging Technologies - Student operation of laser cutter
Industry, enterprise, sustainability, people, culture, systems
Energy Generation and Storage - Fossil fuels, nuclear power, renewable energy, storage
Developments in New Materials - Properties of modern, smart, composite and technical textiles
Systems Approach to Designing - Inputs, processes, outputs
Mechanical Devices - Levers, linkages, rotary systems
Materials and their Working Properties - Material properties, paper and boards, textiles, properties and application of metals and alloys

Specialist Technical Principles

Timber- based Materials - Desk tidy base
Selection of materials, stock forms, standard components, techniques and processes, forces and stresses, material management, tolerances

Designing and Making Principles

Environmental, Social, Economic Challenge - Deforestation, product miles, product disposal, sustainability, social and ecological issues
The Work of Others - Designers: Louis Tiffany, Marcel Breuer, Ettorre Sottsass, Philippe Starck
Design groups: Dyson, Braun
Design Strategies - Collaboration, user cantered, iterative
Communication of Design Ideas - Desk tidy - orthographic

Year 11

Core Technical Principles

New and Emerging Technologies - Industry, enterprise, sustainability, people, culture, systems
Energy Generation and Storage - Fossil fuels, nuclear power, renewable energy, storage
Developments in New Materials - Properties of modern, smart, composite and technical textiles
Systems Approach to Designing - Inputs, processes, outputs
Mechanical Devices - Levers, linkages, rotary systems
Materials and their Working Properties - Material properties, paper and boards, textiles, properties and application of metals and alloys

Specialist Technical Principles

Timber- based Materials - Non-Examined Assessment – Section E making, selection of materials, stock forms, standard components, techniques and processes, finishes, scales of production, forces and stresses, material management, tolerances

Designing and Making Principles

Environmental, Social, Economic Challenge - Deforestation, product miles, product disposal, the 6 ‘R’s, social and ecological issues
The Work of Others - Non-Examined Assessment – Section A, Designers: Louis Tiffany, Marcel Breuer, Ettorre Sottsass, Philippe Starck
Design Groups: Braun, Dyson
Design Strategies - Non-Examined Assessment – Sections C&D
Collaboration, user cantered, iterative, avoiding fixation
Communication of Design Ideas - Non-Examined Assessment – Sections C&D