Design and Technology

Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils will be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. They should work in a range of domestic, local and industrial contexts through food, technology and textiles. During Key Stage 3 the teaching and learning priorities are: 

DESIGNING 

• Research: Introduce students to the design brief and show them how to analyse it to identify the user’s needs and requirements.  

    Explore existing and interesting products with students to see if they meet the user’s needs and how they could improve them. 

• Specification: Introduce the term Specification and teach them how to use their research to develop their own specification to ensure the user’s needs are met. 

• Generating ideas: Through modelling and sketching (2D/3D) students should develop ideas that work towards meeting their specification. 

MAKING 

• Students should be taught how to use a range of machines/equipment/tools and utensils safely and correctly. 

• Introduce the properties and functions of the materials/ingredient’s students are using. Students should be able to explain why they have chosen them to make their product. 

• Produce a prototype that meets the specification. 

EVALUATING 

• Evaluation should be a continual process throughout the project and students should be given the opportunity to record their thoughts as their ideas and designs develop. 

• Opportunities should be given to students to test and refine their ideas throughout the process. 

On completion students should evaluate their final products against the specification. 

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE 

• Understand the properties/function of the materials/ingredients used during the project and be able to explain why these have been selected. 

FOOD 

• Introduce and apply the principles of Health and Nutrition through looking at a balanced diet. 

• Students should be able to prepare and cook a repertoire of predominantly savoury dishes to enable them to feed themselves and others a balanced diet. 

Students are formatively assessed regularly through quizzes and tests both in lessons and for homework, teaching is adapted accordingly. A summative assessment is carried out each term and the assessment data is used to track progress and guide planning of material that needs to be re-taught to ensure full understanding. Knowledge of vocabulary is assessed throughout the unit in ‘I do’ tasks at the start of lessons. The impact of the curriculum upon students becoming designers, makers, engineers, critical thinkers and people who contribute positively to the environment and others is assessed through students’ participation in lessons, their engagement with homework tasks and their outlook on how they impact the environment and those around them. 

Students work in Years 10 and 11 is marked against GCSE assessment criteria. Assessment data is used to judge the success of the curriculum and help students progress towards mastery.  Following assessments, teaching time is allocated to the re-teaching of specific knowledge and refining student work.  The impact of the curriculum is assessed through students’ enthusiasm for DT, as well as their engagement in and enjoyment of an array of lesson activities.