Curriculum OverviewTechnology
Our technology curriculum
KS3 Technology curriculum
Intent: We believe that students deserve a Design & Technology curriculum which prepares them for the world they live in. Our curriculum aims to promote and develop resilient, independent, lifelong learners with the abilities to solve problems utilising a range of transferable skills, thus allowing them to access and become successful and productive members of the wider community. The Design and Technology department comprises the following subjects: Engineering/ Design Technology, Hospitality & Catering/Food Technology, and Textiles. In Design and Technology students combine practical and technological skills with creative thinking to design and make products, and create systems, that meet human needs. They learn to use current technologies and consider the impact of future technological developments. They also learn to think creatively and intervene to improve the quality of life, solving problems as individuals and members of a team.
Design & Technology is a subject which draws, develops and implements a range of different disciplines including mathematics, science, engineering, computing, geography, business studies and art. The subject embeds high quality literacy skills through analysis and evaluation techniques. Through the curriculum, students are actively contributing to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of themselves. Students will be working in stimulating contexts that provide a range of opportunities and draw on the local ethos, community and wider world, students identify needs and opportunities. They respond with ideas, products and systems, challenging expectations where appropriate and considering aesthetic, technical, cultural, health, social, emotional, economic, industrial and environmental issues. As they do so, they evaluate present and past design and technology, and its uses and effects. Design and Technology education makes a unique and valuable contribution to the education and preparation for students’ future lives for work and or leisure. We aim to ensure that our students achieve the best possible experiences in Design and Technology, to become lifelong learners sharing the same joy of the subject that their teachers have.
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half term 1 | Cooking: Hygiene, healthy eating, basic cooking and nutrition skills. Textiles: Safety and equipment techniques. Systems & control: Safety in the workshop, how students should conduct themselves following the safety rules and using the correct PPE when required | Cooking: Macro and micro-nutrients, Recipes for the family Textiles: Products created for consumer needs Systems & control: Programming and complex wood joining techniques | Cooking: Food science Product design: MP3 dock – Product development, considering the needs of a client and studying the work of other designers Systems & control: User centred design and iterative design work, considering the work of other designers |
| Half term 2 | Cooking: Healthy eating and ways of providing balanced packed lunches. Textiles: Theory covers basic fibres, yarn and fabric properties, construction and Fairtrade – providing sustainability and ethical issues involved in the production of textiles. Systems & control: The main learning and development of skills is through a series of focused practical tasks with elements of research, design and evaluation. | Cooking: Macro and micro-nutrients, Recipes for the family Textiles: Products created for consumer needs Systems & control: Programming and complex wood joining techniques | Cooking: High skilled dishes Product design: MP3 Dock – Developing a user centred product, beginning with a standard frame and amplifier circuit Systems & control: Mathematical modelling of simple mechanical systems |
| Half term 3 | Cooking: Designing products based from an existing recipe. Textiles: Students investigate a theme and existing products in relation to a target user’s needs. Systems & control: Students investigate human skills and develop their understanding of hand eye coordination skills. | Cooking: Practical cooking medium/high skilled dishes, looking at specific diets Textiles: Tote bag project Systems & control: Recording the manufacturing process, tools and equipment and safe working procedures | Cooking: Using different methods to analyse products, identifying which method is best depending on desired outcome Product design: MP3 Dock – Design a creative product taking inspiration from others and influence by the clients’ needs and wants Systems & control: Create a range of solutions by studying other designers |
| Half term 4 | Cooking: Designing products, considering the nutritional value Textiles: Students practice decorative techniques to inspire their designs and develop their skills using the textiles room equipment. Systems & control: Students develop a knowledge of a working circuit and electrical components through building a soldered circuit for a hands steady game | Cooking: Practical cooking medium/high skilled dishes, looking at specific diets Textiles: Tote bag project Systems & control: Wood working skills | Cooking: Experiment with ingredients and cooking methods Product design: MP3 Dock – collecting consumer feedback Systems & control: Consider client needs to create solutions that are comfortable, easy to operate and include good levels of reliability |
| Half term 5 | Cooking: Students evaluate their food, discussing the sensory and nutritional properties as well as ways it could be improved. Textiles: Students design and plan before embarking on the manufacturing of their cushion, to make informed decisions on applying decoration. Systems & control: Students are introduced to timber, MDF, acrylic and copper wire through making basic joints, drilling and manipulating the materials | Cooking: Research project – designing a product Textiles: Research project – client needs, 6 Rs and sustainability Systems & control: Soldering skills and programming | Cooking: Study a range of ingredients and the science behind what happens when they are cooked and mixed with other ingredients Product design: MP3 Dock – Presenting ideas in orthographic and isometric (using CAD) Systems & control: Anthropometrics |
| Half term 6 | Cooking: Students relate dishes to target customers, analysing how it will fit in with their nutritional needs Textiles: Students record and evaluate their success throughout the stages of making and for the final outcome. Systems & control: Students relate their product to a target customer through designing and decorating a backboard for the steady hand game. | Cooking: Research project – designing a product Textiles: Research project – client needs, 6 Rs and sustainability Systems & control: Practical tasks | Cooking: High level cooking skills Product design: MP3 Dock – testing, evaluation, environmental impact Systems & control: Primary research, establish mathematical decisions based on CAM mechanics and frame size constraints |
KS4 NCFE L1/2 Technical Award in Engineering
Exam board: NCFE
Course code: 603/7006/3
Examinations: Unit 1 exam – 40%. Unit 2 NEA- 60%.
Progression routes: This course can lead to careers in engineering, manufacturing and processing.
| Year 10 | Year 11 | |
|---|---|---|
| Half term 1 | Engineering disciplines Maths and Science links Practical/workshop introduction – mild steel bottle opener | Processing skills and techniques Synoptic – Resource pack completion |
| Half term 2 | Maths and Science links Reading engineering drawings | Synoptic – NEA |
| Half term 3 | Hand Drawn Engineering drawings CAD | Synoptic – NEA Exam preparation |
| Half term 4 | CAD Materials | Exam preparation |
| Half term 5 | Tools equipment and machines Production planning techniques | Exam preparation |
| Half term 6 | Processing skills and techniques | Revision. |
KS4 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition
Exam board: AQA
Course code: 8585
Examinations: Food preparation and nutrition paper 50%, NEA Food investigation and food preparation assessment 50%
Progression routes: This course can lead to careers in food production and manufacture, cooking, product analysis, food inspectors, environmental health inspectors and farming.
| Year 10 | Year 11 | |
|---|---|---|
| Half term 1 | Health and Nutrition | Food choice |
| Half term 2 | Food Science | NEA1 |
| Half term 3 | Food structures | NEA1 |
| Half term 4 | Food safety and hygiene skills | NEA2 |
| Half term 5 | Mock NEA | NEA2 |
| Half term 6 | Revision of topics | Revision |
KS5 courses
| Page Views | 1078
Updated | 23rd January, 2024 |
Latest News
University Support
Currently we are supporting students on the following programmes: UniversitySchemeWebsiteDurhamSupported ProgressionViewNewcastlePARTNERSViewNorthumbriaDestination NorthumbriaViewSunderlandFirst ChoiceViewTeessideSupported progressionViewYorkNext Step YorkViewLeedsAccess to LeedsViewOxfordBalliol College outreach for Humanities, Life Sciences and MathsViewOxfordAim for OxfordViewOxfordUNIQ for students with additional needs or disadvantaged backgroundsViewCambridgeChrist’s-Trinity Women in MathsViewCambridgeArts and Humanities Residential Course (Pembroke College)View
Published: February 4, 2025
The Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust is an exempt charity. It is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales under company registration number 07890590. The registered office address is Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education HQ, Barmston Court, Turbine Business Park, Nissan Way, Washington, SR5 3NY.
