Design and Technology

Our aim: students who can interact confidently with today’s and tomorrow’s technology
This is an exciting time to be involved in the subject of design and technology. For both students and teachers there is so much to explore and enjoy that every year we are introducing new project areas to investigate together. The explosion of technical knowledge in today’s world is impossible to contain within a curriculum and our subject is moving more and more towards a task-centred approach. In other words, looking at what needs to be done (a design task) and then going out to research the up to date knowledge and skills that will enable this to be successfully accomplished. For students to be able to do this independently is the aim of design and technology teaching at BUCHS. Of course the starting point will still be a core of knowledge and some basic skills that need to be mastered, but after that there’s no limit to what can be achieved!

The curriculum: the learning and skills that students will be developing in D&T lessons
Design and technology is taught to all pupils in year seven to year nine on a carousel system. Every year students will spend a term working in food, textiles and product design (working with wood and metal). This includes a regular double lesson (2 hours) so there is a real opportunity to develop practical skills by demonstration and student participation.

In year seven the emphasis is on safe working and the use of basic equipment. In food technology your daughter will learn to use the oven and hob safely and with confidence. Expect her to bring home vegetable soup, rock buns, fruit salad and a home made pizza. The emphasis is on a balanced diet and the place of food in a healthy lifestyle. In year seven textiles, students will learn the origins of a range of fibres and how these can be made into fabrics. Some simple decorative techniques will be used to colour the fabric to make a novelty item such as a bean-filled frog. Learning to set-up and control a sewing machine takes practice but brings an enormous sense of achievement. Year seven product design will introduce students to working with wood and the importance of accurate measurement and cutting. A project such as a wooden desk tidy offers a lot of learning opportunities and a useful end product to take home

Students continue to develop their designing and making skills through years eight and nine, following the same pattern of timetabling and organisation.

Year 10 upwards: GCSE and A’ level choices
At KS4 the choice of GCSE subjects offered includes food technology, catering, textiles technology and product design. Click the links for a fuller explanation of the GCSE options choices.

All subjects are taught in well-equipped rooms by specialist teachers but the new (Sept 06) textiles room with its changing-room for garment fittings and huge light windows, framed with raspberry pink blinds, has helped to make this subject a very popular choice! Equally popular are the food-based subjects. Food technology encourages individual creativity and takes a critical look at the food industry and how it operates. GCSE Catering students learn about the hospitality industry and develop their team-working skills. As well as their usual practical lessons, catering students cook to-order on a regular basis, usually once a fortnight. School staff and students pre-order products that will then be cooked as part of the curriculum. Staff and parents much appreciate this high-quality service and enjoy products as diverse as mince pies, fishcakes, curry and rice, fruit pies and so on. Students gain the experience and satisfaction of providing a genuine catering service and staff and parents comment on the self-esteem that this develops.

Food and Textiles technology are offered at A’level and for many of our students are a route to further education and a career in these areas. From year seven to thirteen, design and technology at BUCHS offers challenges, achievements and enjoyment and can contribute to your daughter’s academic and practical skills. Come and see the department at work, visitors are always welcome!

Design and Technology at GCSE
Design and Technology calls for the candidates to become self motivated and creative problem solvers. They must look for needs, wants and opportunities and respond to them, first by developing a range of ideas and then by making products and systems within their chosen material area.

The subject helps students to organise their time and resources and to become discriminating and informed designers and users of products. It encourages them to think and work creatively to improve the quality of life in our society.

Design and Technology includes a range of life skills and offers many career opportunities. Students will work in one material area and may choose from the following:

GCSE Food Technology
As well as studying the commercial production and marketing of food products, students study the nutritional and working properties of food ingredients and then use them as a material for design. The course covers a wide range of practical skills, food hygiene, food science, human nutrition and the management of time, money and resources. It serves as a useful starting point for a career in food science, food product development or marketing; all of which offer many opportunities for well qualified young people at both graduate and other levels.

GCSE Catering
This course is designed to develop the cookery skills of the individual and to be able to work as part of a team. The student will gain an awareness of the catering industry and an introduction to career opportunities and further study. The course covers a wide range of practical skills, health and safety requirements, and a basic knowledge in nutrition, hygiene, costing, planning, menus and communication. This serves as an introduction to life skills, and would enable a student a useful starting point for a career in the Hospitality Industry.

GCSE Product Design
We have been selected to be a ‘pilot’ school for the new Product Design GCSE course. The aim is to develop innovation and flair in young designers. The qualification is unique in that although its four units include Designing and Making, the actual manufactured item (your practical work) can be different from the assessed design task. The design area, in fact, needs to be fairly ‘way out’ and as imaginative and creative as you like. There is a whole day innovation challenge involving problem solving and where team working counts. The final portfolio can be produced using IT and submitted on a CD – no need for printing out and sticking down!

Department Links
Year 11 Catering Exam photos
Year 11 Food Revision Guide: Questions
Year 11 Food Revision Guide: Answers
Weblinks Database: Food
Weblinks Database: Textiles