#improvise adapt overcome
The Design and Technology department at Burnham Grammar School are committed to delivering a curriculum accessible to all which provides the broadest possible range of opportunities for students. The department firmly believes that students learn best by ‘doing’ and by allowing students to experiment and take design risks, in a safe and positive learning environment.
Our main priority is for students to be problem solvers who are not afraid of making mistakes. It is also our aim to create strong cross curricular links with other subjects, such as Mathematics, Science, Computing, English, and Art. We want Design and Technology to give students the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences they need to be successful in later life.
Intent (what we aim to do)
- D&T aims to have a curriculum which will allow students to become self-motivated and confident learners, who can work independently and as part of a team.
- The main aim is to ensure that learners develop technical and practical competencies as well as the wider soft skills valued by employers.
- Our priority is for students to be problem solvers who are not afraid of making mistakes.
- We hope our students will become responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.
Implementation (how we achieve our aims)
- The department firmly believes that students learn best by ‘doing’ and by allowing them to experiment and take risks, in a safe and positive learning environment.
- This is achieved through imaginative teaching that embraces new technologies and resembles modern industrial processes, whilst retaining the best of traditional practices.
- At the heart of this, is the desire to deliver a curriculum in which students express creativity through designs and produce high quality outcomes.
- Students must learn about designers and their work, especially British designers. They also must learn about the importance of managing finite resources being a designer/engineer.
Impact (what we have achieved so far)
- Consistent numbers of students select the course at GCSE and we have enough high quality students to always offer A level D&T.
- Students are able to improvise, adapt and overcome problems.
- Students feel supported and secure in making mistakes and do not aim for perfection.
- To enable students to combine their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding, in order to design, make, analyse and evaluate products of high quality.
- Children express their own creativity through their designs and are more socially confident to give their opinions.
- Collaborative skills are honed so they can work with a client
- Students have clear enjoyment and confidence in Design and Technology that they then often apply to other areas of the curriculum.
- The department celebrates success on our social media accounts. We are proud of our students' achievements and celebrate their success, both in school and beyond.
Curriculum Enrichment
- Opportunities to use other subjects in D&T such as mathematics, science, business studies, history as well as other extra-curricular clubs such as art club or gardening club.
- Linked projects
- Links with the aeronautical engineering club
- Weekly D&T lunch club
- Made in BGS annual creativity exhibition
- Links with school canteen to design a snack to be sold in school in the summer
Please see KS3/KS4 and KS5 Curriculum Maps below :
KS3 Design & Technology Curriculum Map
KS4 Design & Technology Curriculum Map
KS5 Design & Technology Curriculum Map
Please see further information about each KS3, GCSE & A Level Design & Technology Courses below :
Key Stage 3 Design & Technology
At KS3 D&T students have one lesson a week and stay with the same teacher all year. Within the design and technology curriculum, food and nutrition is also taught in year 7 - students have 1 lesson a fortnight for food in addition to D&T lessons. Food projects have been incorporated into the D&T curriculum design and assessments.
Students are taught in units of work which focus on assessment strands to cover the National Curriculum, through both practical and theory work.
Year 7
The overall aim for the year 7 curriculum is to introduce the students to the workshop and to gain confidence in a scary environment. The aim is to create products that demonstrate skills on particular machines that they will need to use in other projects further up the school.
Design & Technology
- UNit 1 - project – H&S design task
- Unit 2 - basic knowledge & workshop skills - note holder project
- Unit 3 - basic wood knowledge & skills - pen holder project
- Unit 4 - Mathematics & wood knowledge & skills - ball game project
- Unit 5 - basic polymer and electronics knowledge & skills - recycle/reduce/reuse electronics project
- Unit 6 - English collaborative story book project
- Unit 7 - series of STEM lessons to enhance real scientific principles in a fun, hands-on way.
Food Technology
- Food Unit 1 - basic kitchen skills - health & safety
- Food Unit 2 - basic kitchen equipment - safe use of oven
- Food Unit 3 - basic kitchen equipment - safe use of hob
- Food Unit 4 - Healthy eating
- Food Unit 5 & 6 - Snackalicious project - Dragon’s Den style project linked with English where the winners will have their food cooked in the school canteen for a day!
Year 8
The overall aim for the year 8 curriculum is to further skills in the workshop. Having worked predominantly in wood and plastic in year 7, the aim in year 8 is to use more difficult materials/processes - metal. Year 8 will also work with a client, so that they produce a product for someone else, not just themselves.
- Unit 7 - risk assessing H&S
- Unit 9 - basic metal knowledge & skills - collaborative school diploma project designing & developing a trophy project
- Unit 10 - metal knowledge & skills - making a trophy project
- Unit 11 - science of sound project - passive amp
- Unit 12 - CAD project - linked with passive amp
- Unit 13 - series of STEM lessons to enhance real scientific principles in a fun, hands-on way.
Key Stage 4 : GCSE Design & Technology
The current GCSE course follows the Edexcel syllabus – product design.
Year 9
Year 9 is about experiencing different [numerous] wood/metal/plastic/textile/graphics skills [core theory] and exciting students as to the possibilities of materials and processes. Students are taught in units of work which focus on assessment strands to cover the syllabus, through both practical and theory work.
- Unit 1 - basic knowledge & wood skills - wood skills stick project
- Unit 2 - basic knowledge & metal skills - metal skills stick project
- Unit 3 - basic knowledge & plastic skills - plastic skills project
- Unit 4 - basic knowledge & textiles skills - textiles skills project
- Unit 5 - basic knowledge & paper skills - paper skills project
- Unit 6 - basic knowledge & systems skills - systems skills project
- Unit 7 - presentation/designing skills & CAD skills
Year 10
Year 10 is about creating prototypes using skills from year 9 and developing more timber theory in readiness for the exam in which we have chosen timbers as our material focus. There is also a practice NEA throughout the year in readiness for 1st June release of the GCSE context.
- Unit 7 [continued] - presentation/designing skills & CAD skills
- Unit 8 - NEA practice
- Unit 9 - developing timber skills - wooden box project
- Unit 10 - Specific timber tools skills - chiselling - marble holder project
- Unit 11 - Specific timber tools skills - forming timbers - bent wood project
- Unit 12 - Specific card and paper skills & metal casting - pewter jewellery project
Students will start their NEA on 1st June - the contexts will be issued by the examination board and students will choose one.
Year 11
Students will be working on their NEA in most lessons but they will continue to have one theory lesson a fortnight.
Key Stage 5 : A Level Product Design
The current A level course follows the Edexcel syllabus – product design.
Students will enjoy designing and manufacturing products using a range of materials, combining traditional skills, ICT and CAD/CAM. The Product Design course focuses on the areas of industrial design, engineering, manufacture and product design.
Year 12
Year 12 is about experiencing different types of design briefs and experimenting with a variety of materials and processes in preparation for the NEA in year 13.
- Unit 1 - CAD/CAM knowledge & understanding - kinder egg project
- Unit 2 - ergonomics knowledge & understanding - pizza cutter project
- Unit 3 - presentations & design knowledge and skills - glue gun project
- Unit 4 - designers & design movement knowledge & understanding - chair project
Year 13
Students will be working on their NEA in most lessons but they will continue to have one theory lesson a fortnight.