DT

Welcome to the DT Department – Meet the team

Abid Hussain
Design Technology Teacher

Rebekah Smith
Creative Arts Technician

Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject which prepares all young people to live and work in an increasingly technological world.

Design Curriculum Intent

The Design and Technology curriculum is a broad, balanced, and carefully structured to embed key knowledge, practical skills, and design thinking over time. Our aim is to equip students with the breadth and depth of learning needed to become confident, capable, and creative problem solvers, ready for GCSE and future pathways in design and engineering.

From Years 7 to 9, students are introduced to the core disciplines within Design and Technology, including Product Design, Engineering and Graphics. They gain hands-on experience with a wide range of materials, tools, equipment, and digital software. Lessons incorporate health and safety, sustainability, and the environmental and social impacts of design. Cross-curricular links with Maths, Science, Art, and Computer Science strengthen their understanding and application of knowledge in real-world contexts.

Students are encouraged to follow the iterative design process—investigating, generating, developing, and evaluating ideas. They build prototypes and products to meet user needs and are guided to critically reflect on their work and that of others. Through this, they improve technical accuracy, presentation, and problem-solving.
 
At Key Stage 4, students deepen their skills through targeted work aligned with GCSE assessment objectives: AO1 (research and investigate), AO2 (design and make), and AO3 (evaluate and analyse). Emphasis is placed on applying creative thinking and technical knowledge to solve complex challenges.
 
Teaching focuses on developing key transferable skills: communication, collaboration, adaptability, and independence. Pupils will explore skills while also understanding core, technical and designing principles.

Design and Technology prepares students for a fast-changing technological world. Our goal is to nurture innovative and responsible designers who understand the impact of their decisions, are confident in their skills, and are ready to shape the future through thoughtful and purposeful design.

 

Key Stage 3 aims:

• Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.
• Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users.
• Critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others.

Students will continuously develop and refine their skills in the core areas for assessment at key stage 3 progressing to GCSE AO1, AO2 & AO3 They will revisit their learning continuously and at specific key points throughout the five years to embed core skills, knowledge and understanding for improvement and progression.

Impact:

The development of a well-informed, knowledgeable, critical learner with well-developed skills in the four core areas for assessment. Creating young designers and learners with an informed view of the world of Design Technology and its impact in/on society and the environment.

Key Features

GCSE Design & Technology is purposeful, as well as being fun and exciting! Studying Design and Technology will build on what you have learnt about designing and making in key stage three. You will use your knowledge and skills to design and make new and better solutions to real life problems, working with a range of materials.

50% Written Examination (core knowledge of Design & Technology principles, in depth knowledge of one chosen material area). A minimum of 15% of the paper will assess learners’ mathematical skills as applied within a design and technology context.  The exam structure has a short multiple choice and short answer section on core technical principles, longer written answer questions which include the use of diagrams on materials and processes (based on a specialist technical principle: timber) and longer written answers to designing and making principles which include some elements of maths and science understanding.

50% Non-Exam-Assessment (Design portfolio and manufacture of a prototype). The portfolio which documents the pupil’s progress through a design and make project is based on an exam board supplied context. Contexts are released in June of year 10 where work on the NEA will begin.

GCSE Design and Technology is about providing opportunities for students to develop their capability, combining their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding in order to create quality products.

What attributes will I need to be successful in this subject?

• Thinking creatively
• Being able to problem solve
• Using your initiative and creativity.

What skills will I develop?

• Designing and making
• Skills within wood and plastics
• Technical knowledge and ability
• Designing and making
• Creativity

Extra Opportunities

• University Visits
• Trip to Frogmore Paper Mill
• Trip to The Design Museum