Design

The principal aim of the Design Technology Department is to design, develop and deliver a stimulating and exciting range of learning opportunities throughout the range of disciplines related to this subject.

In Key Stages 2 & 3 the objective is to provide knowledge and experience of the many diverse elements and skills Design Technology has to offer, with pupils studying Food Technology, Resistant Materials, Packaging and Graphics via a series of projects and brief-based activities. At all levels students are encouraged to use their intellectual and practical skills to identify, analyse and solve problems creatively in order to improve our quality of life and the environment.

At the end of Key Stage 3 pupils begin to pursue personal interests and concepts in the design and production of marketable outcomes, or items suitable for industrial manufacture in an effort to prepare them for transition to GCSE level. At Key Stage 4 candidates study the OCR Graphics endorsement, in which theory is integrated into the coursework structure, enabling students to cover the specifications set by the board during relevant stages of their projects. At the end of the course coursework folders and products are externally assessed and candidates sit 2 one and a half hour examinations testing their knowledge of materials and components and their practical designing skills.