Technology

Head of Faculty: Mr P Harvey
 

Design & Technology Department
 

Department Staff


Teaching

 

  • Mr P Harvey - Head of Faculty, Technology
  • Mrs B Butterworth, Technology (part-time)
  • Mrs L Miles, Technology (part-time)
  • Mrs R Rayner - Technology 

Support

  • Mrs E Worthington - Senior Faculty Technician 

 

Department Introduction

 

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. It teaches how to take risks and so become more resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable. Students develop a critical understanding of the impact of design and technology on daily life and the wider world. Additionally, it provides excellent opportunities for students to develop and apply value judgements of an aesthetic, economic, moral, social, and technical nature both in their own designing and when evaluating the work of others.

 

Key Stage 3

 

In Years 7 and 8 pupils experience all areas of the Design and Technology Department through a carousel system. On each cycle students will gain a range of valuable design and practical skills, including CAD/CAM alongside the skills covered in the Food room. Although the emphasis of the course is on practical work, the underpinning theory is also examined.

 

Key Stage 4

 

We offer a 3-year GCSE course following the AQA exam board

GCSE Design and Technology will prepare students to participate confidently and successfully in an increasingly technological world. Students will gain awareness and learn from wider influences on Design and Technology including historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic factors. Students will gain the opportunity to work creatively when designing and making and apply technical and practical expertise.  The course allows students to study core technical and designing and making principles, including a broad range of designing processes, materials, techniques and equipment.

 

Assessment

 

Exam – 2 hours which counts to 50% of the final GCSE grade
 

Section A – Core technical principles
 

Section B- Specialist technical principles
 

Section C – Designing and making principles
 

 

NEA – Coursework design and make task which count to 50% of the final GCSE grade.
 

For further information, please see the AQA website www.aqa.org.uk

 

Key Stage 5

 

We offer a 2 year Linear GCE in Product Design, Edexcel
 

This qualification places great emphasis on understanding and applying the iterative design processes. Students will use their creativity and imagination to design and make prototypes that solve real and relevant problems, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. Alongside this students will appreciate the complex relations between design, materials, manufacture and marketing.

Assessment

 

Exam – 2.5 hours which counts as 50% of the final qualification

NEA (non examined assessment) – Coursework design and make task working with industry that counts as 50% of the final qualification

 

Enrichment

The Technology department offer lunchtime and afterschool sessions whenever required.

In Product Design we enter, with success, many regional, national and international challenges. We are extremely successful in the World's largest STEM competition for students, the Formula One in Schools challenge, in 2019 Queen Elizabeth’s being crowned World Champions in Abu Dhabi. Alongside entering a large number of competitions we love to celebrate the success of our students through exhibitions and prize giving ceremonies. We have visits to the New Designers exhibition, to local industry, design lectures, and many more. Students also have the opportunity in year 12 to take part in the faculty residential trip to Amsterdam.