year 7

Year 7 begins by working on the fundamentals of CAD, RM and Food Prep and Nutrition. 

Food Preparation and Nutrition

We study the core principles that will enable students to enhance their knowledge. All students also complete a unit of work which helps them understand how to maintain and improve their dietary  health and fitness. 3 Dishes are prepared: Fruit Fusion, Vegetable Pasta Salad and a Burger from scratch (Vegetarian option is also offered). Additionally we run the Burger Packaging Project, where we create the corporate identity for our homemade burger.

CAD

Year 7 students learn how to develop computer aided design skills and use CAD software Techsoft 2D Design. This is build on in Years 8/9 and forms a solid foundation for Technology within the school.

Resistant Materials

In RM pupils are introduced to using wood, metal and plastic to create a variety of outcomes in response to the design briefs set. This unit is connected with the CAD unit, where virtual creations are translated into real prototypes in a variety of materials.

Year 8 

Food Preparation and Nutrition

In this Unit we learn about cooking balanced meals for our families using seasonal food. Year 8 make Pizza, Pasta Bake, A Roux, Scones, Pancakes (sweet and Savory) and Vegetable Rice.

Electronics

Here we learn about how design is used to influence. We create a promotional charity usb mood light for a cause we believe in. To promote our prototypes the students  create marketing literature to advertise their designs globally.

Engineering

In this unit we learn about structures and their importance in bridge building. We build in a range of materials from paper, card to jelutong. We are shown how to mark out, use hand tools and how to create high quality finishes.

 

Year 9 Foundation Year

There are 3 rotations in this year: Food, Textiles and RM with the common theme of sustainability.

Food Preparation and Nutrition

We learn to cook International food using seasonal produce: A frittata, flapjacks, meat plait, spaghetti bolognese, Thai green curry, roulade and a stir-fry. Additionally we look at the context of junk food marketing and how marketers skillfully target young people with imagery and language designed to make them want a product by redesigning our flapjack packaging.

Textiles

Life isn’t fair!

Some of us have very little. We need to work to develop a fairer world where everyone has access to the things they need. We learn about how extreme weather and natural disasters can kill or injure millions each year, but not everybody can afford the products designed to protect us from them. Students create a prototype protective suit. This suit will use only everyday materials and improvised building techniques.

Students learn which properties various materials have to ensure the suit can withstand cuts, cold, impact or sinking.

The suit can be made for little or no cost, regardless of where the user lives. Students  learn that through smart design and use of everyday materials, cost and distribution cease to become a barrier to fair access to lifesaving design. 

RM

For this unit students learn about the iterative design process.  Independent Research is completed, a market is established and a prototype product suitable for a specific user is modelled, adjusted and modified until it meets the clients’ specification.

There are 2 routes here:

1. AQA DT or

2. AQA Food Prep and Nutrition

The KS4 courses are based on the AQA GCSE 1-9. Both  involve a balance between practical and theory (50% /50% split) and are a natural extension to the work undertaken at KS3. For students that continue with these options, skills and knowledge are built upon and extended to help students achieve the top grades of 8-9 at GCSE. 

DT

Here you are able to specialise in a material of your choice after you have worked with them all including: metal, timber, acrylic, paper, board or textiles. A coursework project is started in Year 10 which  addresses a real world need.

Food Prep and Nutrition 

This course equips students with an array of culinary techniques, as well as knowledge of nutrition, food traditions and kitchen safety. It will inspire and motivate  students, opening their eyes to a world of career opportunities and giving them the confidence to cook with ingredients from across the globe.

IB

There are 2 options here:

1. Design and Technology offered at Standard and Higher

2. Food Science and Technology offered at Standard

DP Design Technology 

Our two-year course is designed to introduce students to the range of topics under the Design Technology subject, and to provide multiple opportunities to learn and apply design strategies, skills, and theories to real-world contexts.

Students work on a range of projects that explore ergonomics, sustainability, business, research skills, and materials. Assessments in the course are modeled around the Design IA and Final Exam formats. For each unit of inquiry students will complete a Project Portfolio. This portfolio is modeled on the Design IA format, and assessed using the same criteria.

Students also examine case studies and write reports and tests that model the type of questions on the Final Exam.

Term Grades and Predicted Grades are calculated using the 60/40 percentage of the Final Grade. 

Food Science and Technology  STANDARD

Food Science and Technology is a global endeavour, with the international exchange of information leading to the development of new food knowledge, processes and products. The emergence of new pathogens, environmental changes and the developments of modern biotechnology offer both threats and opportunities to world food production. Globalisation of food has impacted on lifestyle in most parts of the world both positively and negatively. The study of food science and technology aims to develop internationally minded people whose enhanced understanding of food science and technology can facilitate the development of creative and appropriate solutions.