Design & Technology empowers students to flourish through creativity, problem-solving, and hands-on learning. In DT Food, students learn to cook with care, promoting health, sustainability, and an understanding of provenance. In DT Materials, they design and make with purpose, showing aspiration and a belief in their ability to improve the world around them. Across both areas, students are supported to be ambitious as they lead projects, maximise critical thinking and engage in collaborative working.
At Abbey Grange Academy students will be following the Key Stage 3 Design and Technology Curriculum, which includes Product Design, Food & Nutrition and Textiles. Students will have 4 lessons across the two-week timetable.
Students will study two lessons a fortnight being taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. These lessons will develop skills that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.
Students will cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes so that they are able to feed themselves and others a healthy and varied diet. They will become competent in a range of cooking techniques [for example, selecting and preparing ingredients; using utensils and electrical equipment; applying heat in different ways; using awareness of taste, texture and smell to decide how to season dishes and combine ingredients; adapting and using their own recipes.
They will be able to understand the source, seasonality and characteristics of a broad range of ingredients
In addition to the two lesson per fortnight studying Food and Nutrition, students will also have two lessons per fortnight on Product Design.
We concentrate on the students’ ability to be creative, independent problem solvers by developing their skills in a number of disciplines. We integrate challenge into all our lessons and give students the chance to demonstrate creativity and flare. Throughout students will also experience a wide range practical Design and make assignments over the course of KS3.
Pupils are assessed throughout the term to provide chance for growth in the subject across each subject area.
The projects vary throughout Key Stage 3 to ensure progress of skills from the start of year 7 through to the end of year 9.
We strive to develop our student’s independence, creativity and love for the subject through focussed projects and high-quality teaching.
Students will have lots of opportunity to develop key Academy objectives such as reading and oracy throughout the KS3 Design and Technology curriculum. Students will read about key designers, research prominent design movements and explore the work of others. Using the Voice 21 framework, students will develop their oracy skills both individually and as part of small groups. The Voice 21 framework engages students in their physical, cognitive, linguistic and social and emotional strands to learning through talk.
Students will be allowed to think and construct their own views on big questions when investigating and evaluating a range of familiar products (mass produced toys manufactured from non-sustainable sources), thinking about how they work, how they are used and the views of the people who use them.
Across all disciplines of Design and Technology (Food, Product and Textiles) students are assessed equally on both their practical and theoretical knowledge. Assessments are graded out of 80, 40 for practical application of skills and 40 for their theoretical knowledge.
Studying GCSE Design and Technology (D&T) offers a wide range of benefits, equipping students with valuable skills for future education, careers, and life in general. It fosters creative and innovative thinking, problem-solving abilities, and practical skills applicable across various industries. D&T also provides a deeper understanding of how design impacts daily life and how the world is shaped by the things we create.
Give all students the opportunity to build upon the work of KS3 and help them rapidly develop their knowledge and practical skills through designing and making exciting quality products in a range of materials and disciplines. In Year 10, students will work on a wide variety of design and make projects which will develop their knowledge of working with graphics, textiles, electronics, mechanisms, structures, wood, plastic and metal using a wide range of equipment. At the end of Year 10 they will be able to choose to focus on an area of interest to them and complete a substantial design and make project for their coursework unit(NEA) in Year 11.
At the end of Year 10 students will start their GCSE coursework project (50%), completing a concise design folder containing: analysed research; development of ideas; planning; and on-going evaluations. Students will then manufacture, test and evaluate their final product in Year 11.
The final examination (50%) enables students to demonstrate the application of their skills and knowledge within a range of exam contexts set by the examination board.
The impact of Design & Technology on the world and society around us.
A steady supply of people who have studied design & technology is essential to maintain and develop the kind of society we value. Design & technology is central to the innovation on which our future economic success as a nation depends. For those young people who achieve a design & technology qualification at Abbey Grange Academy, the experience may well predispose some of them to consider a technical career.
The learning achieved through studying design & technology at school is useful in everyday situations, as it enables young people to deploy design skills and technical problem solving to address and solve practical problems at both the personal and community levels.
In their communities, their work places, and through the media, people encounter questions and disputes that have matters of design and/or technology at their core. Often these matters are contentious. Significant understanding of design and of technology is needed to reach an informed view on such matters and engage in discussion and debate.
Technologies and the design thinking behind them are major achievements of our culture, linked to the history of our country. With links to religious studies students will develop a better understanding of different food beliefs and choices and how this has brought different cultures and communities together.
Students will be given the opportunities to explore ideas, feelings and issues that have relevance and meaning both for individuals and for society. They will value the opinions of others and develop respect for the opinions of others.
AQA GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition assessment consists of both a written exam (50% of the overall grade) and non-exam assessment (NEA) (50% of the overall grade. The written exam, which is 1 hour 45 minutes long, assesses students' knowledge and understanding of food, nutrition, cooking, and preparation. The NEA component, split into two tasks, focuses on practical skills, planning, and evaluation.
AQA GCSE Design and Technology assessment is split into a written exam (50% of the overall grade) and a non-exam assessment (NEA) (50% of the overall grade). The written exam is 2 hours long and assesses core technical principles, specialist technical principles, and designing and making principles. The NEA is a single design and make task based on a context set by the exam board each year
A GCSE in Food Preparation and Nutrition can open doors to various careers, including chef, nutritionist, food technologist, and roles in catering, hospitality, and food science. You can also pursue careers like dietitian, food hygiene inspector, or even roles in research, health, and fitness. The skills developed, such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, are transferable to many fields.
A GCSE in Design Technology can open doors to a variety of careers, particularly in fields involving design, engineering, and technology. Examples include graphic design, product design, interior design, and various engineering roles including:
Furniture Design, Joinery, Electrician, Construction, Site Manager, Architect, Production Line Manager, Logistics, Fashion Designer, Theatre Set and Costume Designer, Apprenticeships, Interior Design, Teaching, Fashion Buyer, Milliners, Shoe Design, Fabric Design, Aeronautical Engineer, Jewellery Design, Mechanical Engineer, Telecommunications, Electronics Engineer, Plumbing, Product Designer, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Structural Engineering, Architectural Engineering and lots more.
This subject is an amazing opportunity to gain a real appreciation of man-made products and develop the knowledge, skills and understanding to design and make your own products that function well and look good.
This creative and thought-provoking qualification gives students the practical skills, theoretical knowledge and confidence to succeed in a number of careers, especially those in the design and engineering industries. They will investigate historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic influences on design and technology, whilst enjoying opportunities to put their learning into practice by producing products of their choice.
Students will gain a real understanding of what it means to be a designer, alongside the knowledge and skills sought by higher education and employers.
Students will demonstrate the ability to explore how products contribute to lifestyle and consumer choices. Understanding how products evolve according to users’ and designers’ needs, beliefs, ethics and values.
The course is examined over three components.
An A-level in Product Design can lead to various pathways, including university degrees in related fields, apprenticeships, and direct employment. It can be a stepping stone to careers in product design, engineering, architecture, and other creative industries.
