Design and Technology Department - an introduction

Design and technology encourages pupils to think creatively and to become problem solvers, as individuals and as members of a team.

Pupils develop the skills to identify opportunities and needs and the capability to respond to them by developing a range of ideas, making products and systems. They combine practical skills with an understanding of resistant and compliant materials, graphics and modelling media, aesthetics, social and environmental issues, design and manufacturing practices.

Through design and technology, all pupils can become discriminating and informed users of products, and become innovators.

Finlay McKim from King Edward’s School has been awarded an Arkwright Scholarship

Finlay McKim has been selected to receive an Arkwright Scholarship after successfully passing the Arkwright Aptitude Paper demonstrating flair and originality in solving Engineering Design problems and presenting GCSE work to a panel of interviewers.

The selection process culminated in an interview at Bath University and a team challenge which involved programming a robot to carry out a series of tasks.

The Arkwright Trust was founded in 1990 and supports young people during their ‘A’ Level years by awarding £250 a year to assist with the purchase of materials and books. Students will also carry the status of ‘Arkwright Scholar’ into university. The school’s design and technology department also receives £200 per year for the next two years.

Finlay is now studying Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Design and Technology at ‘A’ Level and is keen to go on to study Civil engineering at University.

Facilities

The design and technology suite is fitted with industry standard equipment including CAD/CAM, interactive white boards, design software and a dedicated IT suite in addition to spacious work rooms for the delivery of woodwork, metalwork, electronics and textiles (compliant materials).

Curriculum

Initially pupils are introduced to the study of design and technology through a series of practically based projects: designing a braking system for a child's pram, designing a wooden spatula, creating a piece of metal jewellery, manufacture of a compliant material product such as a fabric pouch and a purely graphics based project such as designing a bookmark using CAD/CAM technology.

These projects create opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding of design, their knowledge and understanding of materials, control systems, structures and practical skills. Most of the projects will be individual projects, but the buggy and bookmark projects will test pupils' ability to work collaboratively with others.

Pupils are encouraged each year to further develop their design and making skills, together with knowledge and understanding, to design and make quality products. Projects develop in complexity each year; building on the skills previously learnt, introducing further techniques and the use of IT.

In Year 8 pupils are introduced to plastics, electronics, use of resistant materials and exploring mechanisms, use of CAD/CAM and textiles through project based work. Projects are group based and individual in order to test both a pupil's ability to work on their own initiative and as part of a team. Examples of projects include design and making a plastic clock, an electronic badge, a golf ball ‘retrieval' device and a textile hat project.

In Year 9 pupils look at structures and work on designing and developing a bridge, a motorized buggy and kite.

Enriched curriculum

The teaching of design and technology is enriched by a number of visits each year.

The subject is very popular with pupils and there are lunchtime and after school clubs to enable pupils to develop their interest further and to support pupils who embark on challenging and highly individualised projects. At present there is a model makers club for year 7, a textiles club for year 8 and a jewellery club for year 9. Years 10,11, 12 and 13 benefit from after school project assistance to help support them to achieve a high quality finish and build.