Technology

The skills developed through D&T subjects can help with overall learning across the rest of the curriculum. It enables students to utilise academic knowledge and understanding in an appliedcontext. Gaining knowledge of properties  of materials and advanced manufacturing methods enables students to make sense of the world we live in. Understanding how materials behave in their natural state, and under certain conditions, helps educate students about why products and the built-up environment are made of specific materials. D&T prepares its students to participate in tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. Students learn to think creatively and solve problems as individuals and as part of a team.

Our students are taught more than the basic curriculum, they leave with a broad repertoire of practical skills. Subject knowledge is key for further success so that students are confident when working with their peers within school, the local community and beyond. The aim of our curriculum is for students to leave Alsop with skills for life. The curriculums encompasses literacy, science and mathematical skills and knowledge thus enhancing future employability of our students. It prepares students for a career or further education in a wide variety of industries such as fashion, engineering, construction, architecture, information technology, careers in hospitality, dietetics and even education. Design and technology is a practical and valuable subject. It enables children and young people to actively contribute to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of themselves, their community and their nation. D&T will prepare students to participate confidently and successfully in an increasingly technological world It teaches how to take risks and so become more resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable. Students will gain awareness and learn from wider influences on D&T including historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic factors.

By the end of KS3, we expect our students to have an awareness of how to follow a healthy diet throughout different life stages. As the subject progresses, they will have opportunity to study the industry in more detail. There is the opportunity to learn about issues related to nutrition and food safety and how they affect successful hospitality and catering operations. Learners will also have the opportunity to develop a wide variety food preparation and cooking skills as well as transferable skills of problem solving, organisation and time management, planning and communication. The hospitality and catering sector includes a wide range of businesses that provide food, beverages, and/or accommodation services e.g. airlines, tourist attractions, hospitals and sports venues. According to the British Hospitality Association, hospitality and catering is Britain’s fourth largest industry.

BTEC Construction covers essential skills such as science and mathematical application, technical drawing, bricklaying, and joinery, making it a broad and engaging subject to study. This qualification can help our students to take their first steps towards a career in the construction industry. We know they will have the health and safety knowledge to work on a building site as well as the key knowledge to understand technical drawings and plans. Our curriculum sets up our students for University courses. 

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

We offer local primary schools primary liaison visits to help support their curriculum. We have designed our KS3 curriculum at Alsop High School to build and develop the theoretical knowledge of D&T/Food whilst embedding this knowledge through practical work. We do not presume that our year 7 learners have mastered the key concepts in primary school so we reteach if required.

We strive to ensure all of our learners become confident and competent readers by the time they leave the Academy. Reading experiences across the subjects include shared, guided and independent opportunities. Our faculty aims for reading are to:

• Provide a rich and stimulating reading environment.
• Enable children to read with confidence, accuracy, fluency, understanding and enjoyment.
• To develop comprehension skills of inference and deduction. Our POS has clear links to reading material. Each lesson also has the Frayer model embedded in the POS. During each lesson, pupils are encouraged to follow teacher exposition when they read. Further more, children are encouraged and supported to read out loud. 

The D&T curriculum is accessible to all learners with well-structured lessons that present new knowledge effectively and within a logically sequenced approach. The application of knowledge is clearly modelled, and all learners are then given the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a variety of theory and practical tasks. 

Our lessons follow the national curriculum and are structured in such a way that students frequently recap key knowledge to support their long-term memory. We aim for our pupils to retain key knowledge, so they are simply not just performing in class – we want to teach skills for life. Further more, our curriculum is designed around substantive and disciplinary knowledge which is carefully sequenced. New knowledge it is taught in a logical manner, ensuring the foundations are secure before moving on to new knowledge to enable mastery of the subject. Our curriculum challenges our learners by encouraging them to be creative and by building their confidence in taking risks whether that be within design or making tasks. Regular low stake assessment helps to inform are teaching and we can intervene as required. Our subject modules are short, sharp tasks to keep all students engaged. There are a wide selection of tasks to suit a wide variety of tastes. Food practical’s can easily be adapted to suit the preferences of the individual e.g. they can easily be made to suit the needs of vegetarians and vegans.

Spiritual: The curriculum has the opportunity to explore beliefs, experience and faiths, feelings and values. We explore how religion can affect foods we eat, vegetarianism, customer needsand wants. Learners will also enjoy  learning about oneself – what they like and don’t like about certain products, as well as the needs of others and the surrounding world. They will use their imagination and creativity as well as reflecting on experiences when designing for themselves and others.

Moral: In D&T there is the opportunity to learn what is right and wrong and respect the law. For example we look at health and safety legislation to keep others and ourselves safe. Learners also explore consequences, for example, of using finite resources. Learners also have the opportunity to investigate moral and ethical issues and offer reasoned views.

Social: There are opportunities to use a range of social skills to participate in the local community and beyond. For example, we visit local restaurants and construction sites. This is for learner to appreciate diverse viewpoints and to participate in real life working situation.

Cultural: The opportunity to explore and appreciate cultural influences is vast.. The curriculum is designed to support, understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity