Design Technology

Curriculum Intent

Curriculum Leader: Mr J Thomas

At The Eastbourne Academy, Design and Technology is a subject that is highly valued for its ability to inspire creativity, foster practical skills, and equip students with the knowledge needed to solve real-world problems. Our curriculum intent is to provide students with skills in designing, making, evaluation and technical knowledge.

Design and Technology impacts every aspect of modern life so it is integral that our students learn how to solve the problems of today and prepare them for those of tomorrow. Therefore our goal is to ensure students learn how to develop and realise their ideas through communication, prototyping and innovation through real world projects. We want our students to gain confidence and independence in the workshop, giving them the skills to become enterprising citizens, access further education and technical careers.

Curriculum Implementation

We recognise that our curriculum goes beyond what happens in the classroom, and is a broad term that encompasses our wider offer.

Our Knowledge Curriculum: Ambition in the Classrooms

• Modelling of the safe use of hand tools, equipment and CADCAM machinery such as 3D printers, Laser cutters and the use of Robotics which are becoming increasingly needed in society
• Key concepts like communication, design and making are returned to and developed across the curriculum
• Visualiser and whiteboards used extensively for live modelling, using an “I do, We do, You do” approach which fosters understanding
• We consistently update our exemplar work to ensure improving outcomes
• As outcomes progress the work is photographed and recorded in student books
• Starters and plenaries are used as retrieval activities to challenge and record student learning
• Students receive peer assessment and self assessment once per project to develop leadership skills and independent abilities to review and improve

Our Character Curriculum: Ambitious Individuals

• Strong behaviour management, organisation and routines to ensure students are safe within the workshop
• We want students to enjoy their learning, this improves engagement encouraging better attendance and behaviour
• Our lessons have a strong practical element that gives students independence to take risks in a safe environment
• D&T encourages students to make mistakes and learn from them to build resilience and foster independence
• We look at a broad selection of designers and themes that allow students to build creativity, understanding and become the designers and architects of tomorrow
• Teamwork, sharing and problem solving are key pillars of D&T and ensure pupils are set up for their future

Our Cultural Curriculum: Ambition Beyond our Classrooms

• Weekly D&T club for KS3 students where students can develop their own projects, work on curriculum models or use CADCAM equipment
• Annual trips
• We complete an Eco Lamp Design that highlights the impact on the environment from the products we use
• We introduce a wide array of D&T disciplines that students can learn and many go on to complete courses in; Resistant materials, Graphics, CADCAM, Robotics, Programming, Electronics.
• We give all pupils the opportunity to engage with key future technologies such as 3D printing, robotics and CADCAM

KS3

In year 7, 8 and 9 all pupils have a double lesson a week on a 7 week rotation shared with Food and Nutrition and Computing. During these 7 week rotations they will complete 3 projects a year which focus on creativity and problem solving within design. Students also develop their presentation skills, verbally and through visual presentations such as drawing, using CAD and other modelling which will be key to their futures in communicating their ideas and thoughts in all walks of life.

We ensure all students have the opportunity to engage in using the workshops array of hand held, traditional and CADCAM machinery to future proof their understanding of design and manufacture.

Year 7:

• Shoe design and prototyping, focussing on famous designers and artists.
• Interior design and architectural modelling including colour theory.
• Making a Bird Box inspired by Memphis Group designers, creating a prototype and architectural model

Year 8:

• Land Yacht challenge, with prototyping, iterative design and biomimicry using CADCAM including 3D printing and hand tools
• Mechanism and Engineering, which will include creating a range of solutions for real world problems whin design and engineering
• Robot challenge; where pupils design, program and create their own robots to meet the needs of a series of challenges

Year 9:

KS4

At Key Stage 4 pupils follow the 3D Art and Design GCSE. This course is 60% coursework which will be started as soon as they start in year 10 and run until December year 11 and 40% Externally Set Assignment which runs from January to May, resulting in a 10 hour practical assessment.

Both projects are assessed through 4 assessment objectives, each consisting of 25% of the mark:

AO1 - Developing ideas through informed research, showing critical understanding.

AO2 - Using a range of materials to prototype and create ideas in 3D and showing refinement of techniques.

AO3 - Recording ideas through visual and written observations

AO4 - Presenting a personal response which is the culmination of the design and development process

Design & Technology Curriculum Maps