KS3: IB MYP Design - Building Future-Ready Skills

Future-Proofing Skills: Our Dynamic KS3 Design & Technology Curriculum

We are thrilled to report on the successful implementation of our revamped Key Stage 3 Design & Technology curriculum. This structural change ensures every student, across Years 7, 8, and 9, gains a broad, high-level skill set, directly preparing them for their chosen GCSE pathway.

Students now benefit from a tailored two-unit approach each year:

• Nourish & Navigate: A foundational Food Technology Unit that provides the practical expertise and scientific understanding needed to excel in GCSE Food Preparation & Nutrition.

• Innovate & Engineer: A longer, Multi-Skilled DT Unit utilising mixed materials (e.g., wood, metal, smart systems). This comprehensive unit is dedicated to embedding the technical and problem-solving skills critical for advancing to GCSE Design & Technology or EDUQAS L2 Engineering.

The 2025/26 academic year is off to a flying start! Our KS3 students are showing outstanding progress, translating strong inquiry and design analysis skills into tangible results. They are all currently immersed in the challenging and rewarding manufacture phase of their design projects.

MYP Design is not just about producing a physical product; it's about developing essential, transferable skills for the 21st century. For example;

• Conceptual Understanding: The course is driven by Key Concepts like Development, Systems, Innovation, and Sustainability, encouraging students to explore how their designs connect to global issues.

• Approaches to Learning (ATL): Students actively practise research, communication, critical thinking, and self-management skills as they move through the cycle, learning how to learn effectively.

• Real-World Connections: Projects are grounded in Global Contexts (such as Scientific and Technical Innovation or Globalization and Sustainability), ensuring that student designs are relevant and meaningful to their lives and the world around them.

The MYP Design course empowers students to move beyond simple assignments, fostering empathy, critical thinking, and resilience as they face challenges and embrace the iterative nature of design—learning that failure is simply a necessary step toward innovation.

Why Design & Technology crucial for secondary students? 

Design and Technology (DT) is no longer a peripheral subject; it is central to preparing students for the modern world. DT provides the critical link between theoretical knowledge and practical application, fostering the skills required for future success in university and high-value careers.

DT classrooms are workshops for innovation, blending creativity with scientific rigor:

• Applied STEM: Students apply concepts from Physics and Math—calculating forces, designing structures, or using Ohm's Law for electronics—making abstract knowledge tangible and relevant.

• Problem-Solving Mastery: The design process demands that students identify a need, conceptualize, prototype, and refine solutions under constraints (time, budget, materials). This is the foundation of entrepreneurial and engineering thought.

• Future-Ready Skills: Students gain hands-on experience with modern industry tools like CAD (Computer-Aided Design), 3D printing, and CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing), building essential digital fabrication literacy.

Year 10 Design Technology

Students are working their way through a series of advanced skills booster projects, whilst creating GCSE style work  in preparation for year 11. They are currently learning various ways of communicating their design ideas.

Year 10 Engineering

Our Engineers have completed their induction for the course and are now embarking on the first unit of controlled assessment. Thus far they have demonstrated excellent practical skills and are very motivated to achieve. 

Year 10 Food & Nutrition

Have been building upon their KS3 knowledge and applying this in their practical lessons to make some enjoyable dishes. Most recently we have spent the past two lessons making our own lasagne which they have adapted for themselves and their families.

What are Y11 Students focusing on in DT?

Students are all working on their coursework projects. 

• Design Technology students are modelling their ideas with the intention of developing them to be able to manufacture their prototypes in the new year.

• Engineering students will need to complete their unit two controlled assessment by the 6th Feb 2026. All students are currently developing their Computer Aided Design skills through the use of Google Sketchup. After the deadline students will begin revising for their exam in May. Revision resources are already on the Google Classroom to support all student

• Food & Nutrition students are working on their coursework developing their practical skills to prepare them for their final practical exam in March.

Do please keep encouraging them to use the given revision materials at home - most revision materials can be found on each Google Classroom.

Post 16 Engineering

Year 12 Engineering students have made a great start to their studies.  This year we have introduced the BTEC AAQ Engineering specifcation.