Aim

Enables students to develop a wide variety of skills including:

• Health and safety awareness in the workshop  
• Analysing the work of past and present professionals involved in Design and Technology (D&T)
• Research and exploration into different cultures, user needs and emerging technologies  
• Identifying and solving problems  
• Developing specifications  
• Generating creative ideas, developing and communicating them  
• Selection and proper use of material and tools  
• The self-evaluation, testing and refining of products  

The Year 7 course introduces students to the safe use of workshop equipment and provides the basic understanding of materials and processes required for future project work. 

Topics covered

Students work on a variety of projects:  

• The Bug Hotel 
• The Travel Game  
• The Bag Tag 

These projects include elements of electronic design, graphical skills, health and safety and the use of various materials.

Teaching groups

For Health and Safety reasons, the group sizes that we have in the workshops are smaller than in other subject areas. Groups are all mixed ability as Design and Technology is an area in which all students should be able to achieve. 

Assessment

Students are assessed through the use of project booklets and on completion of their practical outcome. Students regularly participate in assessing their own work and that of their peers and are actively encouraged to discuss their work in front of their classmates. 

How to support at home

Long hair must be tied up in the workshop (a ‘bobble’ is suitable). Finished practical work can be taken home and we usually ask for a small contribution towards costs. A note will be sent home at the appropriate time for this.