The Design and Technology department at Burnham Grammar School are committed to delivering a curriculum accessible to all which provides the broadest possible range of opportunities for students. The department firmly believes that students learn best by ‘doing’ and by allowing students to experiment and take design risks, in a safe and positive learning environment.
Our main priority is for students to be problem solvers who are not afraid of making mistakes. It is also our aim to create strong cross curricular links with other subjects, such as Mathematics, Science, Computing, English, and Art. We want Design and Technology to give students the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences they need to be successful in later life.
KS3 Design & Technology Curriculum Map
KS4 Design & Technology Curriculum Map
KS5 Design & Technology Curriculum Map
Please see further information about each KS3, GCSE & A Level Design & Technology Courses below :
At KS3 D&T students have one lesson a week and stay with the same teacher all year. Within the design and technology curriculum, food and nutrition is also taught in year 7 - students have 1 lesson a fortnight for food in addition to D&T lessons. Food projects have been incorporated into the D&T curriculum design and assessments.
Students are taught in units of work which focus on assessment strands to cover the National Curriculum, through both practical and theory work.
The overall aim for the year 7 curriculum is to introduce the students to the workshop and to gain confidence in a scary environment. The aim is to create products that demonstrate skills on particular machines that they will need to use in other projects further up the school.
The overall aim for the year 8 curriculum is to further skills in the workshop. Having worked predominantly in wood and plastic in year 7, the aim in year 8 is to use more difficult materials/processes - metal. Year 8 will also work with a client, so that they produce a product for someone else, not just themselves.
The current GCSE course follows the Edexcel syllabus – product design.
Year 9 is about experiencing different [numerous] wood/metal/plastic/textile/graphics skills [core theory] and exciting students as to the possibilities of materials and processes. Students are taught in units of work which focus on assessment strands to cover the syllabus, through both practical and theory work.
Year 10 is about creating prototypes using skills from year 9 and developing more timber theory in readiness for the exam in which we have chosen timbers as our material focus. There is also a practice NEA throughout the year in readiness for 1st June release of the GCSE context.
Students will start their NEA on 1st June - the contexts will be issued by the examination board and students will choose one.
Students will be working on their NEA in most lessons but they will continue to have one theory lesson a fortnight.
The current A level course follows the Edexcel syllabus – product design.
Students will enjoy designing and manufacturing products using a range of materials, combining traditional skills, ICT and CAD/CAM. The Product Design course focuses on the areas of industrial design, engineering, manufacture and product design.
Year 12 is about experiencing different types of design briefs and experimenting with a variety of materials and processes in preparation for the NEA in year 13.
Students will be working on their NEA in most lessons but they will continue to have one theory lesson a fortnight.