Design & Technology
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Intent
The DT curriculum develops creative, practical, and technical skills so students can design, make, and evaluate products that improve everyday life. It combines design thinking, engineering principles, and food science to build a curriculum that is innovative, relevant, and socially responsible.
Our aims are to:
- Inspire curiosity and problem-solving by engaging students in real-world design challenges.
- Build secure knowledge of materials, processes, systems, nutrition, and sustainability, linking classroom learning to industrial practices and global issues.
- Foster creativity, resilience, and independence through iterative design, modelling, prototyping, and testing.
- Ensure students develop practical confidence with tools, CAD/CAM, and kitchen equipment, while understanding health and safety.
- Encourage students to reflect on the social, cultural, and environmental impact of design, including Fairtrade, food provenance, climate change, and sustainable production.
- Prepare learners for further study, apprenticeships, and careers in engineering, design, architecture, food science, and other creative industries.
Implementation
- Years 7–9 (KS3-MYP): Students build foundations in design and making across resistant materials, graphics, CAD/CAM, and food technology.
- Projects include dragsters (aerodynamics and timber work), Fairtrade packaging, Bauhaus-inspired products, biodiversity lamps, and “fakeaway” healthy eating projects.
- Theory is integrated into practice — e.g., Eatwell Guide, macronutrients, polymers, ergonomics, metals, and joining methods.
- A wide range of practical skills are introduced, from woodworking and hand tools to sketching, CAD modelling, food preparation, and nutrition.
- Years 10-11 (KS4/GCSE):
- In Design & Technology, students complete a variety of creative projects (pop-up cards, toys, T-shirt competitions, and phone stands) before progressing to the Non-Examined Assessment (NEA) where they research, design, prototype, and evaluate a product in response to a real-world context.
- In Food Preparation and Nutrition, students master advanced cooking techniques, food safety, and nutrition science, completing NEA 1 (food investigation) and NEA 2 (food preparation). Required practicals and mock NEAs ensure students apply theory to practice.
- Years 12-13 (KS5/ IBDP Design Technology):
- Students develop mastery through Standard level units on ergonomics, user-centred design, sustainability, modelling and prototyping and materials; and Higher-Level units on structural, mechanical, electronic and production systems.
- Skills include user-centred research methods, product analysis, modelling, machining and rapid prototyping.
- The Internal Assessment (IA) requires students to select and address a design problem, iteratively developing solutions through empathy, modelling, prototyping and evaluation.
- Teaching and learning combines:
- Hands-on practical work (workshop, food lab, CAD/CAM).
- Iterative design process (investigate, design, make, evaluate, improve).
- Integration of theory and practice so technical knowledge supports creative application.
- Cross-curricular links to Art, Sciences, Maths,Geography, Social Anthropology, Psychology reinforcing relevance.
Impact
- Knowledge and skills: Students leave with strong technical knowledge of materials, nutrition, systems, and processes, alongside practical competence in design, manufacture, and food preparation.
- Creativity and innovation: Learners demonstrate originality in developing design ideas, balancing creativity with technical accuracy and problem-solving.
- Practical confidence: Students are safe and independent users of tools, equipment, CAD/CAM, and kitchen technology. By KS5, they are skilled in prototyping, evaluation, and refining solutions.
- Global awareness: Students understand sustainability, Fairtrade, provenance, and the ethical impact of design and food choices, making them responsible global citizens.
- Preparation for next steps: Students progress successfully to apprenticeships, A-level/IB, university, or industry pathways in design, engineering, food science, or creative sectors.
- Personal development: The curriculum builds resilience, teamwork, communication, and reflective thinking, enabling students to thrive in collaborative and independent work.