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Design & Technology Curriculum Intent Statement
"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."
Design Technology in Tiverton High School is a department where students can explore, create and understand how things are made and for what purpose. We encourage our students to challenge and ask questions as to why ‘things’ are made and how.
The design process consists of three stages: ‘design, ‘make’ and ‘evaluate’. Running through this process is the essential ‘knowledge’ that students need at each stage of that process. In Design Technology we have broken this process and the associated knowledge in to 20 ‘Key constructs’. These represent the most important knowledge, skills and understanding that students need in order to make progress in Design Technology. They are at the core of the national curriculum ad the GCSE specification.
In Year 7 students are introduced to Design and Technology by frontloading the key constructs in health & safety, tools & equipment and to understand how to work with different materials. Through each project students are taught to solve problems through designing and creating products. They learn that the design process is not linear, but holistic in approach. Students can see how there is no start or end to the design process and understand how key constructs interlink with others.
In year 8 students further deepen their understanding and knowledge of Design and Technology. Through a range of different projects, the students will learn the properties of materials and master research techniques and understand how to use them to influence their designs. There are also more opportunities within the projects to develop cross curricular links. In the airplane project we use science to test how planes fly by explaining drag, lift and aerodynamics. In the fibres project, the student will carry out experiments to test the working properties on different fabrics.
Throughout Year 9 students are encouraged to work with different materials, develop manufacturing methods and knowledge of their working properties. More computer aided design and manufacturing methods are introduced which demonstrate to students how products are made in industry and at different scales.
Year 10 students have an option to study either Design Technology GCSE or a course in Construction. Both qualifications build on the DT key constructs from the previous three years and give students a deeper insight into how the industry works and the different roles and opportunities it has to offer. Students continue to develop their practical skills through carpentry, painting & decorating and tiling as well as their knowledge for planning construction projects. By year 11, both D&T and Construction students will be confident in
their subject knowledge and develop mastery principles in order to achieve the best possible grades.
We know for many of our students Design Technology is more than simply a qualification but represents the start of a career pathway in to the design and building sector. For this reason we have built relationships with our local college Petroc to give the direction and opportunities that students from our community need.
Key Constructs
Below are the key constructs which you will learn in Design & Technology. These are the key building blocks for the knowledge you will learn throughout your DT lessons. You will be assessed on them, cover them for homework as well as learning about them in lessons.
Design
Identify key stakeholder requirements for design solutions.
All products start off with a design which is based on a need.
There are a range a designers, cultures and products which can influences us.
A range of data and information is to be used to inform design decisions
Problems in the designing and modelling process need developing to be solved.
A products function and appearance can be developed through identifying, investigating, exploring, designing, and modelling ideas.
There are different social and moral implications that need to be considered when designing and making a product
Make
There are range of process, techniques and tools which are used to create products.
Making prototypes enables issues to be addressed before the product is realised.
Testing our ideas using card or computer aided design which can also inform us on design decisions
Selecting and using appropriate processes for manufacturing is important to make the product out of the correct materials.
Evaluate
Existing work needs to be analysed to identify areas for improvement, understand current trends and marketing strategies.
Key words of ACCESS FAME should be used as a tool to analyse products and evaluate.
Knowledge
Health and safety is at the core of all design technology operations.
Materials have different properties which enable them to be used for different applications
Materials and products can have an impact on the world we live in
Understanding how things function and why
There are a range of current and emerging technologies.
There are a range of materials, including wood, plastics, metals card and textiles.
There are solutions to environmental problems by sourcing sustainable materials and using eco-friendly processes.
Key words
ACCESS FM – Aesthetics, Client, Customer, Consumer, Cost, Environment, Safety, Size, Function, Material, Manufacture
Health & Safety – Hazard – Risk – Control Measure
Tools & Machinery
Analyse & Evaluate
Timbers – Softwoods – Hardwoods – Manufactured boards
Metals – Ferrous – Non-Ferrous – Alloys
Polymers – Thermoforming – Thermosetting
Textiles – Natural – Synthetic
Tools & Machinery
Timbers – Origins – Deforestation – Stock Forms – Properties
Metals – Origins – mining – Stock forms – Properties
Polymers – Origins – Fractional Distillation – Properties
Textiles – Origins – Weaving – Knitting – Fixing
Electronics – Circuits – Components – Input – Process – Output – Programming
Social, Moral, Environmental and Cultural impacts
CAD/CAM – Computer Aided Design / Computer Aided Manufacture
Knowledge Organisers
Please download document using the link below.
Learning Journey
Please download documents using the links below.