All students study Design and Technology at Key Stage 3 and it is an option at Key stage 4. We have three lessons per week with year 7 and two lessons with years 8 and 9. As with all GCSE subjects, we have three lessons per week at KS4.

Throughout Key Stage 3, all students will study a range of aspects of Design and Technology.  Design and Technology is about making things that people might want and that work well. An important aspect of our work is evaluating existing products and trying to develop new ideas which could be an improvement. We hope that our students are able to develop an enquiring attitude toward our ever changing world and hopefully think creatively to improve quality of life. We expect that they will begin to acquire an enquiring mind about a wide range of products which are readily available and to become discerning consumers.

At Key Stage Four, we can develop this further but are able to concentrate on one specialist area. We look in more detail at consumer issues and manufacturing processes in addition to developing practical skills in the chosen examination course.

We readily invite specialist experts into school to talk to our students and demonstrate their work.  We are developing links with the Design Museum to further enhance the experiences of our students at KS4.

Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9)

We offer a wide range of experiences in Design and Technology as students arrive in Year 7. Using a wide range of materials, they are given the opportunity to work with wood, plastic, paper, card, food and textiles. We have six projects in the first year and they range from developing a sandwich to designing a pop-up book. We think that it is important that all our students enjoy making something that not only works but has a part of them within it as they have designed a part of everything we do.

In Year 8, we continue with six projects and the students make, among other things, juggling balls in textiles and a miniature intruder alarm for their bedroom.

It is in Year 9 that we start a modular course which enables the students to start to make an informed decision regarding their choice of G.C.S.E. examination. We have a Product Design module, two Food modules, Graphics and Textiles. We hope that all students will wish to follow at least one G.C.S.E. course in Year 10.

Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11)

As a part of the Visual Art College status, we encourage all our students to follow a Visual art G.C.S.E.  We see much of the work carried out in Design and Technology as a visual subject and, as such, we hope that our students consider a Design and Technology course. We offer Product Design, Catering, Art & Design and Graphic Communication. Some students choose to follow two of these courses but they need to be warned that the course work element is 60% which will put quite a lot of pressure on them in Year 11.