Design and Technology

Design and Technology is an interesting, challenging and diverse subject, which aims to create an awareness and appreciation of the designed world in which we live.

The study of Design and Technology aims to broaden our knowledge and understanding of how and why products, systems and environments have been designed and manufactured, in the hope that pupils will become more selective and informed consumers.

As a subject, Design and Technology is made available to all pupils regardless of race, culture, sex, religion or ability. Every child's responses to a given task are highly valued and each child is encouraged to express his creativity through the design and safe manufacture of a range of quality products throughout their school career.

It is hoped that through the study of Design and Technology, all pupils will have the opportunity to express themselves in a way which is quite different to writing, speaking or performing, and will encourage them to draw on their skills and knowledge from other aspects of the curriculum to enhance their education through independent thinking and learning.

Aims

·         Enjoy designing and making quality products using a wide range of materials and manufacturing techniques.

·         Gain knowledge, skills and understanding of the processes involved in designing and making both at school and in the "real world".

·         Demonstrate how design and technology play an important role in our lives and that design education and visual awareness are fundamental to all subjects.

·         Encourage pupils to identify opportunities for Design and Technology and to apply their abilities effectively and safely.

·         Encourage pupils to consider the effects and implications of Design and Technology.

·         Provide pupils with the opportunities to draw on knowledge gained in other subject areas, especially Mathematics and Science.

·         Provide opportunities for pupils to work both individually and as members of a team.

·         Develop capability in pupils through activities, which involve a range of contexts, materials and processes and lead to practical results of a high quality.

·         Develop pupils' confidence to design, make, modify and improve artefacts, structures and systems for identified purposes.

·         Develop spatial awareness and visualisation skills.

·         Provide opportunities for pupils to select and manage appropriate resources.

·         Develop pupils' critical faculties enabling them to evaluate the results of Design and Technology activity and make informed judgments about the appropriateness of the outcomes.

·         Address progressively more complex and sophisticated Design and Technology problems.

Extra-Curricular Activities

The Department recognises the importance of offering extracurricular activities to enhance the curriculum and raise the profile of the subject within the School.

The Design and Technology block is open for four nights a week when space, materials, and tuition are made available until 5.30 pm. It is used as an extension of the lessons, and it is important as a time to complete course work. These sessions have proven to be invaluable to GCSE pupils to ensure deadlines are met and quality products are manufactured.

CAD/CAM tutorials take place on Wednesdays after School.

GCSE Course

Students follow AQA Resistant Materials GCSE (60% coursework 40% Examination).

The GCSE course aims to provide pupils with appropriate skills and knowledge in the designing and manufacture of quality products in wood, metal and plastic.

The Year 10 course is designed to act as a foundation for Year 11 and aims to instil basic syllabus requirements in all pupils, which can be carried forward into Year 11. The GCSE course also requires candidates to show an awareness of industrial practices in their project work. The Year 10 syllabus has been designed to deliver knowledge and understanding of common woods, metals and plastics properties and uses whilst developing basic manufacturing skills. There is a great emphasis on Pro/desktop work in Year 10 and projects are designed to prepare students for their final GCSE project.

The delivery is somewhat traditional in places. However, this very structured approach is particularly suitable for our pupils; it is also recommended by the examination board as it has been found that too much project work limits the depth and breadth of knowledge pupils acquire to be able to answer the theory examination in Year 11.

The major project is started in the last half term of Year 10 to provide pupils with extra time on the course work project and ensure their work is of a consistently high standard.

 Assessment

Key Stage 3

The assessment at key stage 3 takes many forms depending upon the type of work completed.  Assessment is kept as simple but as informative as possible.

Focused practical tasks/short written pieces of work

Work is marked across the department using an agreed standard scale for both effort and achievement.

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY MARKING POLICY

                      EFFORT GRADES

A consistently very hard work and enthusiastic attitude

B generally works well and shows interest

C can work well but needs to increase effort sometimes

D room for improvement in effort and attitude

E very little effort and poor attitude

GRADES OF ATTAINMENT AND UNDERSTANDING

0 Unacceptable work/missing work

½ Work which contains basic information and shows minimal knowledge. Skills level shown are basic.

¾ Work begins to contain a range of information, and shows a sound understanding of concepts and a good level of skills shown.

5 Work contains a wide range of information with clear explanations and links between factors. An excellent understanding of concepts and a high level of skills is shown.

Marking Annotation

? = does not make sense

P = punctuation needed

O = a mistake that needs correcting

X = incorrect

SP = spelling mistake

// = paragraph needed

√ = correct answer

The marking scheme is known to all students and is posted in the Design and Technology rooms in the department.  All assessment sheets also explain the meaning of the assessments given.

Marks for this type of work are kept in the individual teachers electronic mark book and this data is used to assist the subject teacher when writing reports and providing feedback to form tutors etc. on progress throughout the year.

Project work

All major pieces of project work which can be marked according to National Curriculum level descriptors are assessed using these criteria.  The National Curriculum levels are linked to the department's assessment grades for achievement and reflect the general ability of students at Archbishop Tension's School.

Each project has its own NC mark sheet along with pupil self assessment and future targets.

Key Stage 4

In year 10, each piece of work is assessed upon completion and marks recorded in the teacher's electronic mark book.

Work in year 10 is marked as a % or based on G.C.S.E. criteria.

G.C.S.E. Design and Technology course work is marked to the assessment criteria set by the examination board and annotated using sheets supplied by the board. At each stage of the G.C.S.E coursework students are given an interim grade and targets for improvement.

Examinations

The department sets a written examination for all boys in years 7-10 during the examination weeks throughout the school year. A mock examination is given to year 11 before the Christmas holiday.

The examinations are written in a similar style to the GCSE Resistant Materials papers and examine knowledge and understanding of design (40%) and making (60%).

Examination papers are marked by individual teachers using a standard mark scheme and pupils are permitted to take the paper away for future reference and revision after reports have been completed.

Homework

Homework is set when appropriate never just for the sake of giving homework. The department also agrees that homework cannot always be set because many pupils do not have access to the specialist equipment necessary to achieve quality results.  Homework tasks usually take the form of completing design work or completing work sheets requiring only basic equipment. Pupils are normally given one week to complete the work and it is collected in and marked (where appropriate) within two weeks. Where it is not appropriate to mark the homework as it is part of a larger project, it is checked off and recorded in the teacher's mark book.

All years are given a homework timetable at the beginning of each year and are instructed on the time which should be spent on each subject's homework.

Information Technology

The use of ICT in Design and Technology is essential for the department to cover all aspects of the curriculum at key stages 3 and 4.

Students are required to use ICT to:

·         Research project themes e.g. use of the Internet, CD ROM's etc.

·         Communicate with others to gather research via e-mail or word processed letters/questionnaires.

·         Record and present findings from their research using spread sheets and graphs.

·         Generate and develop design ideas using CAD packages. 2d Design, Inventor Professional and Pro/Desktop.

·         Manufacture products in quantity using CAM facilities (Quick Cam Pro and VR Milling).

·         Design and build systems which are computer controlled to understand about sensors and feedback whilst developing a grasp of the input, process, output phases of control systems.

Year Nine students have an opportunity to follow EDEXEL Btec first in Engineering from 2010. More information to follow.