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Back to Subjects"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." - Maya Angelou, author, poet, civil rights activist
The aim of the Design and Technology department is to encourage students to become aware of their own creativity and develop confidence in their abilities to achieve their creative potential and through this a sense of personal balance and wellbeing.
As a subject we do this through investigating design possibilities and developing and making products that can be utilised, working in materials to learn a variety of technical working processes and principles.
Peer to peer learning has a huge impact in Design and Technology and is a fantastic way for students to gain confidence showing or helping others with their skills when they have mastered it themselves.
Feedback ensures progress. Within the department we constantly verbalise this as a student feels their way through the project, throughout each lessons.
Students have the opportunity to develop many important skills when working in Design and Technology including problem solving and creative thinking. They are encouraged to work with self-motivation and to develop sustained concentration and the ability to work independently on practical project tasks.
Our facilities include two workshops, two computer design suites and two kitchens, including a newly refurbished kitchen with all new equipment. Recently we have increased our provision for Textiles, and this is proving popular. In our workshops we have facilities for working in timbers, polymers and metals be that using the laser cutter, vertical router or the 3D printer.
Department Staff
| Head of Department - Mrs McManus |
| Teachers - Mrs Mallinson, Mrs Young and Mrs Jones |
| DT Technician - Mr Macbeth |
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 4
GCSE Design and Technology will prepare students to participate confidently and successfully in an increasingly technological world. Students will gain awareness and learn from wider influences on Design and Technology including historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic factors.
Students will get the opportunity to work creatively when designing and making and apply technical and practical expertise.
How pupils will be assessed: 50% Examination 50% Coursework
The Examination has been split into three sections as follows:
- Core technical principles
- Specialist technical principles
- Designing and making principles
Yr 10 will focus on these core skills, learning through practical projects and written examples that will prepare pupils for the examination and the coursework project.
Yr 11 will be the Practical application of the core skills which will be approximately 30–35 hours design and make task consisting of:
- Assessment criteria:
- Identifying and investigating design possibilities
- Producing a design brief and specification
- Generating design ideas
- Developing design ideas
- Realising design ideas
- Analysing & evaluating
- The design challenges to be released annually by AQA on 1 June in the year prior to the submission of the coursework
- Students will produce a prototype and a portfolio of evidence
AQA GCSE Design and Technology Specification
Hospitality and Catering
Exam Board: WJEC
About the subject
This qualification has been designed to support learners in schools who want to develop their knowledge and understanding of the hospitality and catering industry. It is suitable as a foundation for further study and support learners in developing the essential employability skills that are valued by employers and higher education.
Areas of Study
Examples of units covered:
• The hospitality and catering environment
• The operation of hospitality and catering provisions
• Hospitality and catering Health and Safety requirements
• Students will also be required to propose a hospitality and catering provision to meet specific requirements
Assessment
The WJEC Level 1/2 Award in Hospitality and Catering is made up of and assessed on two mandatory units:
Unit 1: The hospitality and Catering Industry. A written examination - 40% 1 hour 30minutes (Externally assessed).
Unit 2: Hospitality and Catering in Action Research, prepare, cook and present dishes - 60% (Internally assessed). It is graded L1 Pass, L2 Pass, L2 Merit, L2 Distinction, L2 Distinction*. This qualification equates to the value of one GCSE.
Through the 2 units, learners will gain an overview of the hospitality and catering industry and the type of job roles that may be available to assist them in making choices about progression.
Career opportunities and progression routes
Successful completion of this qualification could support entry to qualifications that develop specific skills for work in hospitality and catering such as:
• Level 2 Diploma in Hospitality Services
• Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cooking
• Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cookery (Patisserie and Confectionery)
Opportunities include: Waiting staff, Receptionists, Catering Assistants, Chefs, Hotel/ Bar Managers and Food Technologists. All of these roles require further education.
