At Kents Hill Park the Design and Technology curriculum provides pupils with the opportunity to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to solve real life problems. Pupils gain an awareness of the purpose, intentions and function of design and use this knowledge to create their own solutions. Linking heavily with ‘The Design Process, the curriculum is based around introducing problems in the form of a design brief set by a client. Pupils research the issue including existing solutions currently on the market which they analyse, before beginning to imagine and plan their own solutions. Creating and testing prototypes forms a large part of pupils’ critical evaluation of their product along with gathering evidence in the form of market research. Pupils are taught to be reflective designers, always improving and refining their designs as part of the iterative process. Critical understanding is introduced to ensure pupils’ final outcomes are well researched, tested and justified. They can therefore have confidence in the product they design and are able to justify their decision making under scrutiny.

Staff and Facilities

Mrs Morley-Smith, Head of Design & Technology, has taught D&T at both primary and KS3 over the last twenty years. Miss Wood is a textiles specialist who taught in a middle school before joining us at KHP. Mr Macdermott is a professional ceramist who brings a wealth of skill and knowledge to our growing department.

Our fully equipped D&T studios have a wide variety of equipment for our pupils to use to bring their projects to life.

Enrichment

At lunchtimes we have a club that supports pupils hone their fine motor skills- a range of against the clock challenges! We have attended DT challenge days in the past and hope to do so again as soon as they start back up.

Curriculum

Year 7 Curriculum

In Year 7 pupils design a product responding to a brief for Milton Keynes Gallery- we learn about woodwork and how different types of joints are suited to different purposes. We learn about the design process and how to respond to a client’s needs. We carry out market research to ensure our product is appealing to its intended user and refine our designs before creating the final outcome which is assessed against the design brief. As this is many pupils’ first time learning in a workshop environment, there is a heavy emphasis on health and safety, we cover hazard management and risk reducing practices that aim to keep us all as safe as possible whilst working in the exciting environment of the workshop. Pupils are trained up individually to use each piece of machinery before they begin to work independently.

Year 8 Curriculum

n Year 8 pupils again follow the design process, this time designing and creating a game for a science educational company. Pupils learn about electronics and solder their own PCP board to create an adjustable timer. As this is many pupils’ first time using a soldering iron, there is a heavy emphasis on health and safety practices, pupils are taught about possible risks and how to reduce them. After creating their adjustable timer, pupils are challenged to create a game using CAD that both utilises the timer and teaches players about science.

Year 9 Curriculum

In Year 9 pupils are introduced to both food technology and metalwork. Pupils learn about food hygiene and how to safely prepare food. We learn about balanced meals and how to live a healthy lifestyle as well as preparing a range of meal in our food technology kitchen. Year 9 is also the time pupils are reintroduced to the resistant materials workshop; they design and create bespoke pewter ‘tokens’ celebrating achievements or promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.

Pupils studying 3D Design at KHP do so with the exam board Eduqas. We begin Year 10 with a fast paced skills based project with the title of ‘Facilitate MK’, pupils must be independent and willing to spend homework time carrying out photoshoots early on in the course to ensure they have a bank of images from which to work. As always, knowledge of the formal design elements and the design process will underpin much of what we do. After their first project, pupils will be given a selection of different 3D design project titles to choose from. By this stage pupils really should be independently driving the direction of their own design work. This should ensure that outcomes are personal and meaningful.

The final of the three projects pupils undertake for their GCSE is their externally set exam title. EDUQAS will set a range of starting points in January of Year 11 from which pupils must choose one. They will then spend 12 weeks working on their final project which forms 40% of their final GCSE grade.