Design and Technology

Intent

Career Opportunities in Design and Technology

The study of Design and Technology provides students with a versatile skill set that is highly valued across a range of industries. It nurtures creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, and technical expertise, preparing students for careers in product design, engineering, architecture, interior design, manufacturing, construction, graphic design, set design, automotive design, and fashion and textiles. It also opens opportunities in areas such as project management, marketing, and education.

Design and Technology is highly regarded by employers and universities for its emphasis on innovation, practical application, and technical skills. Many universities and colleges offer specialised courses in engineering, industrial design, and creative technologies, allowing students to further develop their expertise and pursue rewarding careers in a dynamic and evolving sector.

Year 7 Curriculum plans

Term	What are we learning?	What Knowledge, Understanding and Skills will we gain?	What will excellence look like?	How will these be assessed?
Autumn	Introduction to Design Technology	The design process sequence, research, producing mood board, rendering and sketching techniques. H&S focus, skills and tooling understanding, looking at different materials.	Good basic knowledge of materials and process. Sustainability understanding of global issues. Good use of technical language and the ability to use and learn to use tooling and machinery safely and effectively.	Teacher marked, and peer assessed, some self-assessment. Booklets use traffic light system to assess students’ progress
Spring	Bug Bots 1	Knowledge: Renewable energies, infrastructure interpretation, solar panels and engineered movement, assembly of components and the transfer of energies, soldering, advertising and packaging/ marketing and symbols and branding to promote sustainability	The product will display quality of assembly and correct function, students will have a key understanding of sustainable energies and the impact on global issues. Solar panel function and other alternative methods within the production of energy. Packaging and symbols recognition. This should be displayed through the booklet.	Through marking and feedback, the booklet has intermittent assessments through the format design. Regular peer assessment and feedback .A final assessment is taken at the end of spring term 2
Spring	Bug Bots 2	Knowledge: focus on the product and the sustainable issues marketing strategies/ global issues, product placement, construction of components to function as effective product.	Students will be able to recognise key sustainable symbols and define them, use net design and aesthetic imagery, comprehend social and moral focus in materials against the wider global impact. Produce a quality functioning product and evaluate this against the specification.	Peer marking and feedback through the product progress in the booklet; final knowledge assessment.
Summer	The design cycle for a perfume bottle and for its packaging, looking at graphic imagery and commercial Art. Packaging and different net designs, signs, symbols and information. Advertising and visual impact.	We will learn about the design cycle, Sustainability, look at graphic art, learn how to design and assemble nets, and produce logos and imagery to attract customers. We will also look at social and moral responsibility in symbols and information for packaging, and design and make this product from the brief.	Your child will produce packaging from a chosen brief, this will have a design that meets these requirements and will show good design skills. The bottle should show a connection to the brief and the packaging. You child will place and understand why, and where information and signs are shown on the product. The completed project should combine in line with the theme.	Your child will peer and self asses the work in sections ,as they progress through the booklet. Discussion and examples will be shown to compare ideas and develop designs. The final product is Teacher and peer assessed as a group against the original brief and theme.

Year 8 Curriculum plans

Term	What are we learning?	What Knowledge, Understanding and Skills will we gain?	What will excellence look like?	How will these be assessed?
Autumn	Mood light: Polymer lighting design.	Health and Safety focus, navigating design process, learning to use specialist tools, focus on materials and properties, understanding dimensions, using specialist machinery, electronics components and communication.	Quality finish, good understanding of circuits and construction, focus against H&S in assembly. Understanding of materials, product functions as intended.	Teacher assessed through project outcome, final evaluation.
Autumn	Desk tidy: Space management product	Navigating design process, research and communicating design ideas, understanding materials and properties, understanding product and development, producing feasible construction. Good finishing and surfacing ideas.	Product that meets the brief and specification, tools and machinery used responsibly, understanding of Health and safety, good aesthetic finish.	Through teacher assessment in booklet, review, self-assessment final design evaluation, final assessment.
Autumn	Yellow door. Student choose design options given in the design brief.	Navigating design process, communication of design ideas, mood board, research, dimensions, perspective and drawing techniques, feasible design solution.	Realisation of chosen option, good perspective understanding, and well produced and annotated sketching, accurate dimensions.	Through teacher assessments in booklet, self and peer assessed, final evaluation assessment.
Spring	Desk tidy 1	Navigating design process, research and communicating design ideas, understanding materials and properties, understanding product and development, some CAD development from the final idea, focus on dimension and 3d realisation.	Product that meets the brief and specification, tools and machinery used responsibly, understanding of Health and Safety, comprehension of sketching, rendering and CAD.	Teacher assessed through feedback assessments in the booklet, development of ideas using drawing techniques, quality of CAD within dimensions.
Spring	Desk tidy 2	Producing feasible design options, construction and assembly of final idea, understanding of materials, good finishing and surfacing, product evaluation, survey and feedback techniques.	Product meets dimensions, competent assembly skills, finishing and aesthetic focus, clear evaluation using specification.	Final assessment in booklet, product marked against specification criteria, survey results.
Summer	Your child will be learning how to draw in one and two point perspective, measure and use scale, and draw as isometric, and use orthographic projections, drawing objects from different angles, helping them to visually explain and create ideas. We will then apply this to a T shirt design, and skate board ramp.	We will learn how to . Show a product in one and two point perspective .Be able to reduce or increase the size of a product using measured scale. . Show an orthographic view of an object. .Draw and explain an idea from different angles and apply this to product briefs	Your child should be able to show a product in different angles and forms in scale. Draw in one point and two point perspective. Understand an orthographic view, and draw an object in these 3 projections. Draw accurately as an isometric on isometric paper. Understand projections and how to recognise them.	We will assess this with teacher feedback on 4 levels of colour coded marking, from Emerging to mastery, these describe current position and how to progress. Some peer assessment is also carried out as the project progresses.

Year 9 Curriculum plans

Term	What are we learning?	What Knowledge, Understanding and Skills will we gain?	What will excellence look like?	How will these be assessed?
Autumn	Memphis clock	Navigating design process, research in design, work of others, communication of design ideas, Health and safety, dimensions understanding, specialist tools and equipment use. Final assembly of product.	Product that reflects the design movement, product is well produced and functional, good surface treatment and finish, meets the design brief	Through teacher booklet evaluation, self-evaluation of final product, final end of booklet assessment.
Autumn	Cam Toy	Navigating the design process communication of design ideas, understanding forces and movement, cams and dimensions. Use of specialist tools.	Well balanced and functional product, good use of materials, tools and machinery, product meets the design brief, good use of aesthetics.	Through booklet teacher assessed, self-evaluation of final product, final assessment.
Autumn	Graphic Product design, Child's toothbrush	Navigating design process, communication of design ideas and perspective, good annotation, understanding of CAD and its communication.	Product design has considered the dimensions the operation of product, ergonomics and function. Well-presented and annotated sketching and designs.	Teachers assessed through the booklet, peer assessment and self-assessment, final end of product teacher assessment.
Spring	Cam Toy and Mechanisms 1	Comprehension of cams and followers, movement and motion. Design Cycle & Method: Mechanical process and implementation. Annotation focus. Initial ideas and development of concept.	Student comprehension of mechanism and movement through set assessment. Ability to show comprehension of function, competent production of the design cycle.	Teacher assessed through marking and assessment. Feedback and guidance from development and practical study.
Spring	Cam Toy and Mechanisms 2	Structure Assembly, comprehension of mechanical placement, Cams and movement, Design adaptation. Evaluation and research. Presentation and finishing.	Functioning product, quality aesthetics and accurate implementation of concept, understanding of evaluation production and survey.	Teacher and peer assessed, evaluated against specification, survey, testing, final assessment graded.
Summer	Your child will learn what is graphic design. How to use drawing techniques, crating, rendering, annotation, and how to create logos using these methods. Then apply this to the brief, look at product application, how to design the packaging to contain a child’s toothbrush.	We will learn how to shade and render objects, how to use crating to create a 3d drawing and manipulate this. Your child will comprehend typography, and the design of letters draw and apply them in a graphic image. We will use these skills to create a design that follows the brief on a child’s toothbrush.	Your child will be marked on the ability to create complex or good crating, demonstrate good rendering skills using the technique shown, choose appropriate materials, provide descriptive annotation, and have a creative graphic design. This will be marked out of 6 specific bullet points in each area.	You child will be teacher assessed, and peer assessed as the project progresses at each stage of learning in each skill, and to the application of these to the brief i.e. The child’s toothbrush project.

Year 10 Curriculum plans

Term	What are we learning?	What Knowledge, Understanding and Skills will we gain?	What will excellence look like?	How will these be assessed?
Autumn	Unit 1 introduction to the built environment: Practicals: Introduction to Painting and decorating Forming and finishing materials (Metals) Introduction to carpentry (Joints)	1.1 the sector: The built environment life Cycle 1.2 Types of building and structure 1.3 Types of Building and Structure 1.4 Technology and materials. Understanding how the construction industry operates, structures and what, why, how and where materials are used in construction. Methods and strategy, sustainability. Health and safety on site and in trades. Spectrum of Career options in the sector.	Students will complete assessments on teaching and will be graded pass/ merit distinction. Students practicals will be graded pass/ merit distinction/ these marks are not entered, they are introduction guidance.	Pass, Merit, distinction guided.
Spring	The Built Environment	The sector: The built environment life, Health and Safety, infrastructure within the industry, method, materials, trades and skills and technologies, organisational structure cycle, sustainability. Types of building and structure, timescales implementation of skills, comprehension of trades applications.	Series of practical assessments, and theory assessments to gauge understanding and focus. Competent skills displayed in practical.	Through internal assessment and feedback, mock examination, practical ability assessment.
Spring	Painting and Decorating	Painting and decorating, technique and method, Types of building and structure, timescales implementation of skills, comprehension of trades applications. Health and safety, Career paths, employment structure, energies and sustainability.	Competence in practical application marking and feedback, assessment internal referencing on key theory focus.	Through internal assessment and feedback, mock examination, practical ability assessment. Feedback and guidance.
Summer	1.2 Demolition and disposal, reuse or recycle 1.3 different forms of infrastructure construction 1.4 the main elements and components of low rise buildings. Practical: painting and decorating skills.	Regulations, risk health and safety, legal requirements, procedures, hazardous materials, sustainability, structure and process, noise pollution, Infrastructure, implementation, general building use,substructures,super structure, foundations. Practical ability to decorate and focus on its system and process, technical skills and method of application. Students will be assessed with internal mock on construction knowledge.	Mock exam, Student will be able to achieve good grade based on knowledge and understanding of information to date demonstrating good comprehension and understanding of the construction world. Production of good practical ability in painting and decorating / carpentry using method and given application guidance and support, teacher assessed.	Teacher assessed. Observation and instruction.

Year 11 Curriculum plans

Term	What are we learning?	What Knowledge, Understanding and Skills will we gain?	What will excellence look like?	How will these be assessed?
Autumn	Students will be working with the NEA folder and producing the prototype models working towards the realisation of the concept. CAD comprehension, initial ideas, materials, assembly and construction techniques.	Students will complete A01 identification of design possibilities, producing a design brief and specification. Then begin design ideas and development using modelling and testing.	Comprehensive research and a range of concepts and ideas, good use of CAD: against drawings. Varied modelling, medias.	Using GCSE AQA 9—1 mark scheme.
Spring	Coursework folder Completion and product Design and make. Theory and method.	Design cycle, wider global impact, social and moral relevance, materials and properties, structures and forces, sketching and rendering, CAD and CAM, product assembly, prototypes and method theory and process, feedback and response.	Iterative design and methodical process, showing good comprehension of concept and the wider impact, quality construction and finishing, clear connection of challenge.	Through teacher assessed regular guidance and marking templates and comment.
Spring	CAD, Modelling and Testing	CAD and engineering of product, modification technique and process, evaluation and feedback analysis, technical and manual skills.	Product will demonstrate development through modelling, clear path of concept, final product should be realised using competent assembly method and finishing, in line with folder support and evaluation.	Internally marked and assessed, external sample assessed.
Summer	All students will have given in the practical and the folder to be marked , deadline 31st of march. Students are revising for the theory written examination 2 hours. All areas of the theory using revision booklet and examination hard copies. Technique on approaching questions, how to interpret these will be given in lessons. Identification of materials properties , sustainability , machinery operation, social and moral focus. Design cycle, manufacturing, CAD,CAM, ETC. all these focus points are in the text book and revision book /cards. Every student has been given these. Maths and how these questions are approached will be given as whole class delivery .	Your child should focus on All areas in a crib sheet prepared by me for students, the page numbers for the knowledge on these areas will be provided. Technique and focus on all areas is important, look at the exam provided in the back of the revision book, and all the exam questions in that book, this will help you gain the knowledge you need.	We should be regularly revising and testing, using exam questions to develop exam approach skills. Key words are ,describe, give examples, explain, use diagrams. Making sure you do this will be excellence. excellence will be making sure you give the right amount of information the question needs to make sure the examiner knows you know the answer, excellence	Tests: Teacher assessed but peer assessed as well and checking your own answers, The final theory 2 hour exam your child will revise for, will be marked by the exam board, The mark is combined with the folder and practical model 50/50%, this is then equated for the final grade 1---9