Design Technology is an inspiring, rigorous, and practical subject that prepares students for the world in the 21st century and industry. At the Dorcan Academy we aim to encourage students to develop innovative solutions to solve problems using the iterative design process. Through rich and powerful subject knowledge, students are taught to deploy a range of materials, techniques, and processes to strategically evolve prototypes that suit the requirements of the intended user.
We aim for all our students to become rounded learners, i.e., promoting personal responsibility, resilience and independence within the workshops and encouraging experimentation in their portfolios to develop depth of subject knowledge and practical skills which will provide students with pathway opportunities into further education and industry.
In Product Design last year, 60% of students achieved grades 9 to 5; and 80% achieved grades 9 to 4.
Assessments enable us to measure the progress that our students are making, providing us with information to support students to make further progress. In Design Technology we begin with a baseline assessment which allows us to gain an understanding of students’ knowledge, perceptions and misconceptions prior to teaching the content; this is informative and provides us with clear direction for planning and teaching.
We then use regular low stakes quizzes and recall activities to check knowledge and understanding of topics covered. Termly cumulative assessments are used to assess familiarity of contents covered and identify areas for further improvement. Summative assessments take place at the end of learning where students have the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of new learning and celebrate student accomplishment. Throughout, students are provided with both constructive verbal and written feedback, enabling them to develop and demonstrate understanding through progress tasks.
Miss Jazz Bansal – Head of Design Technology and Business
Mr James Allen – Design Technology and Business teacher
Mr Christopher Holland – Design Technology Teacher
Mr Eugene Haynes – Food and Design Technology Teacher
Ms Jane Simms – Design Technology Teacher
All students study Product Design throughout Years 7 and 8 at The Dorcan Academy and may choose to continue it in Year 9 to follow through to GCSE.
In Year 7 and 8, all students have 2 lessons a fortnight for terms 1 to 4. In Year 9, students that have selected to specialise in Product Design will receive 3 lessons a fortnight.
In Design Technology students are able to pursue extra-curricular sessions. On a Thursday night we offer a Cooking Club which equips students with the knowledge, understanding and cooking skills required to apply the principles of healthy eating. Furthermore, it encourages students to be adventurous in their cooking and enables them to make informed choices about their own diet. We also offer Lego League which guides students through STEM learning and exploration; from discovery, to exploring, and then to challenge, students will understand the basics of STEAM and apply the skills in an exciting competition while building teamwork skills along the way.
GCSE Design and Technology – AQA – BBC Bitesize
ENGINEERING – DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY (technologystudent.com)
