Design Technology

Vision

The Design and Technology department at the Wellington Academy are committed to delivering a curriculum accessible to all, which provides the broadest possible range of opportunities for students. At present our department consists of a range of subject areas including Food, Resistant Materials, Construction and Professional Cooking. The curriculum is one which will allow students to become self-motivated and confident learners, who can work both independently and as part of a team. We aim to ensure that learners combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, awareness of the importance of function and ergonomics as well as preparing them for pathways to employment in the Design and Technological field. Our main priority is for students to use their creative flair to become problem solvers who are not afraid of solving solutions.

Mission

The Design and Technology department at the Wellington Academy firmly believes that students learn best by ‘doing’ and by allowing them to experiment and take risks, in a safe and positive learning environment. This is achieved through a curriculum that embraces new innovative technologies and resembles modern industrial processes, whilst retaining the best of traditional practices. At the heart of this, is the desire to deliver a curriculum in which students solve solutions using embedded skills and knowledge, producing products with a high quality finish. Students must learn about the social and ethical responsibilities of designers and engineers and the importance of managing finite resources with care.

Key Stage 3

Within Key Stage 3 Design and Technology we operate a rotation system that allows groups of students to move within the different areas of the department on a termly rotation. Students will complete work that covers all strands of Design and Technology including: Resistant Materials, Visual Arts, ICT and Catering. The students move between staff in the department who have different skills and areas of expertise. This allows students to have the best possible teaching and learning experience in each distinct area of the department. Each student will leave Key Stage 3 Design and Technology with a broad range of knowledge and expertise. All students’ progress will be tracked over their various KS3 rotations. The results from which will be used to guide their choices when selecting their options at the end of KS3.

Key Stage 4

Design and Technology is a popular subject at GCSE, and students select a specific material area to focus their study. These are taught within specialist workshop environments that embrace traditional and modern tools, machines and processes. Students will work with a variety of materials/ingredients to design, manufacture, test and evaluate the products of tomorrow, allowing them to develop practical ability as well as their problem solving skills. Investigating, planning, preparing and manufacturing work will account for approximately 60% of the students’ time and will cover the social and environmental aspects of Design and Technology within society and the impact that materials/ingredients and manufacturing has upon their lives. Students will use ICT and Computer Aided Design and Manufacture to both develop and enhance their work within the subject.

Design and Technology allows students

To develop their creativity, which enables them to be inspired, moved and challenged by the pursuit of better design solutions.
To be independent learners, and develop higher order thinking skills such as analytical thinking which feed into many other subject areas as a transferable skill.
To become discriminative users of products within a consumerist society

Subjects Offered

KS4
GCSE Hospitality and Catering (WJEC)
GCSE Resistant Materials (EDEXCEL)
BTEC Level 2 Construction (PEARSON)

KS5
BTEC Level 3 Construction (PEARSON)
VRQ Level 1/2 Professional Chef Programme (CITY and GUILDS)

DT Trip to London