Subjects: Technologies (Design Technology; Food Technology)

Design Technology

Years 7 – 9

During the Key Stage 3 Design and Technology course you will undertake project work allowing you to experience the following areas of the DT curriculum:

Use of Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacture packages in conjunction with laser cutting technology, Laser Pro Plus, to understand the concepts and processes involved in commercial design and manufacturing. You will be able to access 3D design software and under license copy this software onto your home PCs to facilitate learning and progress in lessons.

Developing graphical and presentation skills using a range of techniques and equipment including the use of Information and Communication Technology as well as honing traditional graphical presentation skills.

Use of constructional kits and resistant materials to understand the concept and operation of mechanical systems. To build and test structures understanding shapes and forces.

Understanding what responsibility the designer and manufacturer has on environmental issues, and to be able to consider the product life cycle from beginning to end. You will be encouraged to design a product which is manufactured from recycled items.

To develop solutions to design problems and solving them using appropriate materials and techniques. You will understand the necessity for workshop rules and be capable of operating tools and equipment competently and safely. You will experience manufacturing products in a wide variety of materials including wood, metal, plastic, textiles, and card. The department is capable of manufacturing all the aforementioned items using Computer Controlled Technology.

You are encouraged to complete and package all products to the very best of your ability. Lunchtime clubs are run to enable extension activities to take place.

Useful Links

• www.designandtech.com
• www.technologystudent.com
• www.design-technology.org
• www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/design

Design and Technology GCSE Product Design

Examination Board AQA
A copy of the syllabus (specification) is available from http://www.aqa.org.uk/

Design and Technology: Product Design is concerned with the design and manufacture of quality products in response to an identified need, which adequately fits the purpose for which the product was intended. The course allows you to develop the work you have undertaken in your foundation years and build upon this by including work in both compliant (card engineering) and textiles as well in resistant materials. The use of Computer Aided Design packages and Computer Aided Manufacturing machinery is encouraged and expected. However we do not want to divorce ourselves entirely from the traditional skills and techniques which are as important today as they were in the past.

Assessment

The work undertaken in the GCSE Design and Technology: Product Design course is assessed as 2 separate parts:

Coursework representing 60%. Examination representing 40%

The examination, sat in June, will test your knowledge and understanding of product design, effects of design on the environment, commercial and industrial processes as well as understanding the correct use of tools, equipment and production techniques more familiar to you in the workshop.

The coursework comprises of a single high quality design and make activity, the focus of which is chosen by you in consultation and agreement with your teacher. The production of the design folio and the practical work for this project will typically involve approximately 50 hours work. Coursework is normally started in the summer term of year 10 and continues on a rolling programme through to the Mid Spring term.

Course Structure

During the first two terms of year 10, you will experience a number of design and make activities to broaden your knowledge gained in the foundation years. The use of Pro Desk Top, a CAD package, will be covered in depth and there will be opportunities to use the department’s new Computer Numeric Control CAM equipment. During this time you will be able to make reasoned decisions about your preferred choice of material to base your final coursework project around.

It is in the summer term in year 10 when you will decide, in consultation with your teacher, upon a project for your coursework. This project must identify a real life problem and you are advised to work with a client to facilitate and provoke discussion regarding your design brief, initial ideas and final testing/evaluation. It is the aim of the coursework to imitate as closely as realistically possible a commercial design scenario.

It must be emphasised that large-scale products do not necessarily gain higher marks. Marks are awarded for innovative and imaginative ideas, capable of commercial production as well as identifying quality control and finally ensuring the outcome is thoroughly tested and evaluated.

Food Technology

Food Technology is taught to all students from year seven to year nine, throughout the year. It is also a popular, optional GCSE and A level. We have a fully equipped light and airy kitchen/learning environment with everything you'll need to produce wonderful dishes as well as carrying out experiments & taste tests and learning about nutrition and properties of food.

Years 7 to 9

In Year 7 you will be given a kitchen to share with one or two friends, in the first couple of weeks you will make various items to familiarise you with different parts of the cooker such as the grill and hob.You will then learn and develop lots of practical skills such as sauces, cooking pasta, designing your own dishes, preparing vegetables and many more.

We also explore foods and experiment with them to see how the ingredients function or to test out equipment. One of the Year 7 favourites is testing the melting qualities of different types of chocolate in the microwave. Once the results are recorded the girls seem to really enjoy  "tidying away" the chocolate! During the year you will learn about digestion and nutrition and you will have cooked lots of exciting dishes including mastering soufflés.

Towards the end of the Year you will be involved in our school Masterchef competition. The  initial  round of cooking determines who will represent your tutor group in the final and then the winners have the chance to show off their skills in a final, judged by outside judges who are professionals within the food industry.

In Year 8 we look at the different ways in which we use carbohydrates in our diet and we make focaccia bread, carbonara, squash and sage risotto and different types of pastry to reinforce our teaching. There are also lots of opportunities for creativity through 'design and make'  topics using filo pastry and designing desserts.

In Year 9 you will be given the opportunity to sit the Chartered Institute of  Environmental Health's Food Safety examination. This is an external public examination usually taken by adults and is a very useful additional qualification. One of the key learning points from studying for this exam is learning about how to prevent food poisoning. 

You also carry out practical investigations comparing the qualities of convenience  versus homemade food. You will still do lots of cooking this year!  We try to develop your skills and refine them. You will produce a selection of appetisers including crostini and make products using advanced pastry skills such as roasted vegetable tartlets.

There is a fantastic  cookery club available at lunchtimes for year seven where you can experiment with all sorts of exciting recipes.

Food GCSE Years 10 and 11

In Years 10 & 11 many students opt to take Food as a GCSE course. Some of our students are considering a medical career and choose to take this GCSE to complement their sciences. Others really enjoy the practical elements and want to pursue a career that involves food such as event managing or writing for food magazines. Coursework makes up 60% of assessment marks at GCSE. This involves three short investigations (two of which are practical) and one longer study.  There is one examination paper for the remaining 40% of marks.The short tasks involve practical and investigative tasks covering topics such as cooking on a budget, healthy packed lunches and food hygiene. The longer study is on a topic of the students choice and involves research skills, practical and other investigations.

Throughout the GCSE course we also have visiting guests and speakers to share their expertise with us.  Recently we have had an organic specialist and several chefs demonstrating their skills.

Every year we take Y10 and Y12  to the Good Food Show and see one of the celebrity chefs doing a cookery demonstration. We have seen James Martin who focussed on sugar spinning and last year we were lucky enough to see Jamie Oliver who chatted to us and signed autographs after the show!