Design & Technology
Developing creative problem solvers & delivering positive nutritional practices for life
The mission of the faculty is to develop to the highest standards the students’ design and technology capability through combining their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding in order to make products.
The Design & Technology department includes the three main areas of study: Food, Workshop Practice and Infographics. The experienced staff are committed to developing the needs of individual students to adapt to the challenge of an ever evolving world.
Students undertake focused tasks that develop knowledge, skills and understanding and engage in design and make assignments in different contexts.
All students will experience lessons in Food, Workshop Practice and Infographics throughout KS3. At KS4 we offer Design & Technology and also Food Preparation and Nutrition. At KS5 we offer an A Level in Design and Technology and a Level 3 diploma in food, science and nutrition.
Key Stage 3 (Years 7,8,& 9)
Students learn about a wide range of topics and develop their skills and understanding of these whilst undertaking projects in different material areas.
Year 7 – An introduction into drawing skills, design and technology and food and nutrition. Students will learn about the Eatwell Guide and food safety whilst experiencing new cooking skills and techniques. They will start to learn technical drawing skills and understand workshop health and safety. They will create simple protypes in wood and plastic and have an introduction to CAD (Computer Aided Design).
Year 8 – Students will continue their journey to focus on global issues and real-world problems. They will experiment using CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) by using the laser cutter and 3D printer. In Food Technology they will learn about more complex cooking techniques and focus on nutrition.
Year 9 – Students will research environmental issues such as food miles and animal welfare whilst gaining an understanding of food science through experimental work. In D&T they will look further into ecological, environmental and social issues and design and create their own prototypes using branding and merchandising.
Key Stage 4 GCSE (Years 10 & 11)
Design and Technology (OCR)
This course will prepare learners to become creative and critical thinkers, developing skills to design and deliver prototypes that solve real and relevant problems. It is focused on improving everyday living.
Students will develop and understanding of:
- The concepts of innovation and iterative design,
- the process of “explore > create > evaluate”
This course will prepare them for careers as creative designers, engineers and knowledgeable consumers.
Food preparation and nutrition (AQA)
This exciting and creative course focuses on practical cooking skills to ensure students develop a thorough understanding of nutrition, food provenance and the working characteristics of food materials. Students will nurture their practical cookery skills to give them a strong understanding of nutrition. Food preparation skills are integrated into five core topics:
- Food, nutrition and health
- Food science
- Food safety
- Food choice
- Food provenance.
Key Stage 5 A Level (Years 12 & 13)
Design and Technology (OCR)
This is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. This course provides authentic practice, giving students an insight into the way that creative, engineering and/ or manufacturing industries function. Students will be required to apply mathematical and scientific knowledge, understanding and skills and reflects the importance of Design and Technology as a pivotal STEM subject.
Level 3 Diploma in Food, Science and Nutrition (WJEC)
This is an exciting new course that combines food industry skills with giving students high level knowledge of nutrition and food science. Students will undertake practical work and experimental investigations into food whilst studying the nutritional needs of specific groups, food safety and the chemical structures of nutrients.
Extra-Curricular Opportunities
Throughout Design and Technology, we offer a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities. We run Gastro Club for KS3 and termly D&T workshops for Engineering and Design. We also run MasterChef days and opportunities to build hovercrafts as part of a team. We attend the prestigious Rotary Tournament each year where we compete with other schools. We also take part in a series of STEM based competitions throughout the year. We support the House System through our Ready, Steady, Cook competition and in the KS4 and KS5 food course we visit a farm and a local restaurant. We also cook for the RPS Sportsperson’s dinner each year. In D&T we offer the opportunity to be considered for the Arkwight Scholarship. We also have lots of exciting industry specialists visit us to talk about future careers in Design and Technology.
