Design and Technology is a valuable, enriching subject within today’s modern world and provides challenge and deep knowledge for all. It enables students to be successful by drawing upon knowledge learnt across the curriculum so they can actively contribute to the creativity, culture, diversity, wealth and wellbeing of themselves and their community and the world in which they live.

It develops responsible, resilient and reflective designers, who have a clear recognition of where to use materials to realise solutions for a wide range of problems, equipping them with high level skills and knowledge.

Our KS3 curriculum is focussed on two main areas:  Design and Technology and Food Preparation and Nutrition.  Our big ideas of sustainability; material science; health and wellbeing; and provenance flow through each key stage. In Design and Technology, students are encouraged to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. We look to draw upon the work of others throughout history, providing opportunities for them to critically reflect upon, evaluate and develop their designs.

In Food and Nutrition, students will develop their knowledge and understanding of food nutrition and health; food safety; food choice and provenance.  Along with this they will strengthen preparation skills and have a good understanding of hygiene, cooking techniques, and sensory characteristics.

There will be opportunities to draw upon and use their knowledge and skills from a wide range of other disciplines from across the school to give their learning purpose and relevance and enable thorough reflection of their work.

Design and Technology helps aid the application of Math, English and Science and indeed other compulsory subjects on the curriculum, putting these subjects into context making them easier to digest and more understandable to all learners. Throughout their time at school, we aim to encourage independent learning through practical participation.  Design Technology supports life skills through the teaching of practical and theoretical skills which can be transferred to real life situations.  As the Programme of Study (POS) progresses, students will be given the opportunity to explore the industry in greater depth enabling them to be job ready.

It is vital to nurture creativity and innovation through design, and by exploring the designed and made world in which we all live and work. With the current skills’ shortages in the creative, manufacturing and engineering industries – it is a valuable subject for young people to study.  It also gives young people the skills and abilities to engage positively with the designed and made world and to harness the benefits of technology.  They learn how products and systems are designed and manufactured to make creative use of a variety of resources including digital technologies, to improve the world around them.

The Food & Nutrition Curriculum allows our learners to leave school with a love of cooking as well as knowing how to safely cook a range of predominately healthy savoury dishes to feed themselves and others well, in line with government dietary guidelines.  Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill for students now and in later life.

The KS3 National Curriculum for Design & Technology (D&T) builds on the principles of the KS2 National Curriculum and is centred around four areas: Design, Make, Technical knowledge and Cooking and Nutrition

We have designed our KS3 curriculum to build and develop the theoretical knowledge of D&T/Food whilst embedding this knowledge through practical work.

D&T

In Year 7 we start with the pencil holder which teaches students how to use most of the tools and equipment in the workshop. These skills continue throughout the years with more complex skills being introduced lesson by lesson.  Projects include students making cooking utensils which requires precision cutting. Student not only work with timbers they also work with plastics and fabrics. By year 9 students are using wooden joints to make a storage boxes. These skills enable students to access the KS4 Construction B-Tec course.

Food & Nutrition

The curriculum is sequenced to allow students to leave school being able to cook a range of dishes for others and themselves. In Year 7 they start with basic knife skills, building up to complete meals in Year 9. This heavily skill-based course prepares students for the real-life world. These skills enable students to access the Hospitality and Catering KS4 Course.

Our lessons are heavily practical based to bring learning to life. Our teaching pedagogy is based on research from experts in the educational field, including work from Barak Rosenshine, Tom Sherrington, Doug Lemov and Daniel Willingham.

We provide a knowledge rich curriculum via clear themes, which are broad and ambitious. Lessons encompass literacy, science and mathematical skills and knowledge. We promote the use of subject terminology using the Frayer model, reading and extended writing. Extra- curricular activities are embedded to give students opportunities they usually would not encounter.  As a faculty, we want to give our students a wide range of cultural opportunities to prepare them for the competitive world we live in.  We promote mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs. We want them to feel comfortable with taking risks and trying new ideas whether that is a trying new food or coming up with a new idea to solve a design problem.

Regular low stake assessment helps to inform teaching and planning. Students do not move on until key knowledge has been mastered.  Tasks are not differentiated nor is there a separate curriculum, students are all taught the same knowledge. We aim to build schema to help support lower ability students and beyond.  In order to use schemata in D&T, we aim to activate prior knowledge by the use of do now tasks. Knowledge should be mastered and not just performed for assessments, so regular fluent recall is embedded in our curriculum.

More formal assessments are carried out twice per term for KS3 and twice a half term for KS4. Both practical and theory work are assessed with regular feedback both verbal and written.

Enrichment opportunities are a strength within our faculty. We regularly arrange trips to bring learning to life and consequently reducing inequalities in life experiences.  Our aim is to enable students to function as well-informed individuals well after they leave school. We feel it is important that pupils have a wide range of learning experiences. Learning is via a variety of scenarios to broaden their hinterland knowledge.  To us, the hinterland is as important as the core, as it provides the essential context to support the overall narrative of our core curriculum.

  • Construction site visits
  • Restaurant visits including Sushi School and 5* Restaurants
  • European trips
  • Farm visits
  • Fashion shows
  • External speakers
  • STEM days
  • After school clubs
  • Marines
  • Landrover Jaguar experience

Hospitality and catering

This qualification will help you develop the essential skills to move into employment, training and further education. Students can move onto NVQ’s, BTEC Hospitality and Catering courses, Level 3 Food Science and Nutrition as well as the vast range of employment opportunities available. The hospitality and catering industry is one of the biggest employers in the UK. There is also a shortage of qualified food scientists and technologists.

Other jobs roles in the food industry include:

  • Personal Trainer
  • Dietician
  • Chef
  • Waiter/Waitress
  • Molecular Gastronomist
  • Food Photographer
  • Journalist
  • Farmer
  • Food Lawyer
  • Holistic Health Coach
  • Restaurant Designer
  • Food Stylist
  • Food Product Developer
  • Food Buyer
  • British Army Chef

Construction & The Built Environment

Study of the qualification as part of Key Stage 4 learning will help learners to make more informed choices for further learning, either generally or in this sector. The choices that learners can make post-16 will depend on their overall level of attainment and their performance in the qualification.

Learners who generally achieve at Level 2 across their Key Stage 4 learning might consider progression to:

  • A Levels as preparation for entry to higher education in a range of subjects
  • Study of a vocational qualification at Level 3, such as a BTEC National in
  • Construction and the Built Environment, which prepares learners to enter employment or apprenticeships, or to move on to higher education by studying a degree in the construction or engineering sectors.

BTEC LEVEL 1/LEVEL 2 TECH AWARD

Learners who generally achieve at Level 1 across their Key Stage 4 learning might consider progression to:

  • study at Level 2 post-16 in a range of technical routes designed to lead to work, to progression to employment via apprenticeships or further study at Level 3
  • study at Level 2 post-16 through a technical qualification.
  • Learners who perform well in this qualification compared to their overall performance, should strongly consider this progression route as it can lead to employment in the construction sector

Other jobs in the constructions industry include:

  • Site Manager
  • Commercial Manager
  • Project Manager
  • Joiner
  • Health and Safety Advisor
  • Builder