OVERVIEW

WHY IS DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY SO IMPORTANT?

• D&T alongside your (STEM subjects) Sciences, Maths and Engineering experiences D & T gives you the skills you need for employment in key growth sectors like advanced manufacturing, design, engineering and creative industries.
• It is the subject where you have to make decisions, plan and predict, evaluate and assess the consequences of your decisions.
• D&T stretches and challenges you and makes you think about many key issues which affect people’s lives.
• It will hopefully inspire you to follow a career in areas which are vital for the future of our country and perhaps to be an entrepreneur who designs and makes products that people want.
• It develops your skills in solving problems, finding solutions and then putting them into practice.
• It brings real world issues and industry issues into your classroom.
• It helps to prepare you for life in an advanced technological society and become a discerning consumer.  This is why we recommend that all students continue with their Design and Technology education.

WHAT DOES DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY COVER? 

All the related courses are exciting and will involve you in activities that develop innovation and flair when designing products.  It encourages you as a designer to:

• Explore, develop, experience and express your design ideas in 2D and 3D drawing and modelling.
• Show flair and imagination.
• Work collaboratively and independently.
• Use new technology such as CAD, control systems such as ‘Crumble’ and new materials. 

SMSC IN DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

 We believe that a student’s Social Moral Spiritual & Cultural is developed in Design & Technology in a number of ways. We believe in educating our students to think about the impact of their designing and making on the environment and people. Sustainability and the clear understanding of how this is applied to designing new products are paramount if we are to protect the world’s natural resources. Students are also expected to grow and develop a sense of social responsibility, mutual respect and care for each other through our teaching of behaviour self-regulation. We expect students to influence the behaviour of others around them by encouraging a confidence to challenge each other when standards fall below our collective expectations.

SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT IN DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY  

Spiritual development is of a very high importance in Design and Technology. The process of creative thinking and innovation inspires students to bring out undiscovered talents, which in turn breeds self-confidence and a belief in their abilities. It also challenges and appeals to the creative instincts that have driven humanity to discover, adapt and overcome. Within our schemes of work we seek to develop these.

MORAL DEVELOPMENT IN DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

 In Design and Technology we seek to develop a sense of ‘moral conscience’ in our students, through focusing upon the moral dilemmas raised in designing and making new products. We teach students to understand the wider impacts on the environment when designing and making new products and expect them to consider carefully the materials & components they will use and include sustainability as a major focus in all areas.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Social development is a key feature of all Design and Technology lessons. We teach the concept of self-regulation to ensure that students accept responsibility for their behaviour and the safety of others. We encourage students to give each other reminders when standards fall short of the collective expectation. This establishes and maintains a safe, secure, learning environment. We place an emphasis on developing the ability to work with others and to accept each other’s unique personality. We encourage effective conversations about the work we do through self & peer evaluation, and to give and accept constructive criticism as a vehicle to improve students' learning outcomes. Many of our lessons include teamwork to develop a collaborative outcome.

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

We seek to expand students’ knowledge of other cultures’ influences on design and manufacture including an increasing awareness of the influence digital manufacturing developments from other countries has on the designing and making of products that we use.