Design and Food Technology 

Technology in Your World: 

In Design, Technology and Food our ambition is that by the end of Key Stage 3, all students will have learned a wide range of practical skills, enabling them to use creativity and imagination to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems. Students learn to critique, evaluate and test their products, building on their practical knowledge by focussing on understanding and recalling the correct skillset for each challenge. Each Design project builds on previous skills and introduces new ones, from basic resistant materials skills to more complex Computer Aided Design and modern rapid prototyping. Each food module pushes students to learn new skills and build a repertoire of wholesome dishes that will allow them to eat well for life, improving their self confidence and ability to work independently. Students gain knowledge of food provenance and the impact on the environment of the food industry and what they eat. Our curriculum aims to expand our students' understanding of the world around them, whether this is by exposing them to new technologies, artists or architects or by experimenting with new foods from around the world. 

The department actively encourages students to push themselves creatively and to understand that failure can teach us as much, perhaps even more, than immediate success.

Reading pervades our curriculum as students work on their literacy skills via reading recipes, instructions researching their products. They are encouraged to use tier 2 and 3 language to explain their ideas and evaluate their peers' work.

At Key Stage 4 3D Design students studying AQA 3D Design GCSE learn about key designers, architects and artists that have shaped the design world we live in and everyday objects we see and use. They build on the design and making skills learnt at Key Stage 3 to produce their own 3D work. 

Students choosing the WJEC Level 1/2 Award in Hospitality and Catering will continue to improve their practical cooking and food preparation skills, while  learning about this vocational sector and the potential it can offer them for their careers or further study.