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Curriculum
Technology is all the things people make and do to their natural environment in order to get the things they want and need. Students learn about the breadth of technology including computers and how to apply them, but it is more than just computers. They also learn about engineering and how to apply mathematics and science to solve real-world problems. Students develop enduring ideas of design and technology, such as knowledge of materials, functionality, manufacturing, design and critique, and they explore the relationship between design and technology and the society in which they live.
View the staff team|
Curriculum Leader |
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| Mr M Scanlon | |
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Deputy Curriculum Leader |
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| Mr L Elliston | |
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Teaching Staff |
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| Mr H Basha | Mrs M Jheeta |
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Technician |
Mr D Browell |
Summary
- Through D&T, people develop technologies and products to intervene in the natural and made worlds;
- D&T uses knowledge, skill and understanding from a wide range of sources, especially (but not exclusively) science and mathematics;
- There are always many possible and valid solutions to technological and product development challenges, some of which will meet these challenges better than others;
- The worth of technologies and products developed by people is a matter of judgement;
- Technologies and products always have unintended consequences beyond intended benefit which cannot be predicted by those who develop them.
Curriculum Content
Curriculum
Touch Sensors
Pupils develop their understanding of manufacturing electronic products through the development of a touch sensitive electronic fan. They are introduced to a variety of electronic components, and they learn how to solder. They develop an understanding of electrical and electronic concepts, and an awareness of possible inputs and outputs that can be linked using a Darlington Pair. They design and make a system to solve a real world problem.
Hand-held Game
Pupils develop their understanding of manufacturing using CAD/CAM through the development of a hand-held game. They develop their ability to produce design ideas. They are introduced to computer-aided design (CAD) through 2D design, and they use the CNC router (CAM) to produce a product.
Art Deco Clock
Pupils further develop their ability to work with wood and plastic. They develop their awareness of how to combine materials through focused tasks, based on combining and interlocking. They study the local built environment of West London, with particular focus on the Art Deco mile, to help inspire them to design and make a creative wall clock.
Assessment
Touch Sensors
Pupils are assessed for their knowledge and understanding of the electronics involved in their product, and for the quality of their finished practical work.
Hand-held Game
Pupils are assessed for the quality of their design ideas and the quality of their product.
Art Deco Clock
Pupils are assessed for their ability to create a variety of well-drawn and annotated ideas, and for the quality of their product.
Progress & Preparation Activities (PPA)
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for design and technology. You can log in with the following details:Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 7 curriculum.
- Technology Student – pupils can further their understanding of the electronics, mechanisms and CAD/CAM topics studied in Year 7.
Curriculum
Musical Box
Pupils develop their understanding of the electronics of embedded intelligence. They are introduced to microcontroller integrated circuits via the Genie C08 microcontroller. They increase their familiarity with computer programming using flowcharts, and they use this knowledge to develop a program which they download onto a microcontroller circuit. They learn about pewter casting and copper enamelling, and they identify a suitable target market for their product. Finally, they design and make an attractive musical box into which they embed their circuit.
Art Deco Clock
Pupils further develop their ability to work with wood and plastic. They develop their awareness of how to combine materials through focused tasks, based on combining and interlocking. They study the local built environment of West London, with particular focus on the Art Deco mile, to help inspire them to design and make a creative wall clock.
Lanterns
Pupils develop their understanding and awareness of the properties of a wide range of resistant materials. They learn how to develop a range of imaginative and well-drawn design ideas. They study the working properties of various sheet materials, such as copper, polypropylene, HIPS and plywood. They develop their model making techniques using a variety of joining processes (including pop rivetting), and they learn how to adapt their ideas to provide for a variety of light sources (tea lights and LEDs). They also learn how to use CAD/CAM and the laser cutter to ensure that their products are produced to a high quality standard.
Assessment
Musical Box
Pupils are assessed for their ability to write a coherent flowchart program, their knowledge and understanding of the electronics involved in their product, and for the quality of their finished practical work.
Art Deco Clock
Pupils are assessed for their design ideas and for the development of their design, as well as for the quality of their finished practical work.
Lanterns
Pupils are assessed for their ability to draw and develop a range of imaginative ideas.
Progress & Preparation Activities (PPA)
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for design and technology. You can log in with the following details:Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 8 curriculum.
- Picaxe – an alternative microcontroller system for pupils wishing to make independent progress.
Curriculum
MP3 Amplifier
Pupils further develop their ability to work with the resistant materials of woods, metals and plastics. They develop a deeper understanding of the properties of these materials, and the ability to confidently choose appropriate materials for particular functions. They develop their ability to creatively develop a range of design ideas for an MP3 amplifier, and they learn how to choose an idea and develop both its aesthetics and its functionality.
Stylish Electronic Lighting
Pupils further develop their understanding of the electronics of embedded intelligence and their understanding of materials and processes. They are introduced to the Genie C14 microcontroller. They further increase their familiarity with computer programming using flowcharts, and they use this knowledge to develop a program which they download onto a microcontroller circuit. They develop their circuit into a creative design solution for a stylish light to be mass/batch produced by studying the example of IKEA. They are taught about a range of smart materials which they are expected to incorporate into a range of imaginative design solutions.
Educational Toy
In this project, pupils develop their understanding of the how to investigate a given design scenario. They use product analysis and client profiles to identify a need and target market, and then apply their knowledge of resistant materials to produce an imaginative design solution.
Assessment
MP3 Amplifier
Pupils are assessed for their ability to write a coherent flowchart program, their knowledge and understanding of the electronics involved in their product, and for the quality of their finished practical work.
Stylish Electronic Lighting
Pupils further develop their understanding of the electronics of embedded intelligence and their understanding of materials and processes. They are introduced to the Genie C14 microcontroller. They further increase their familiarity with computer programming using flowcharts, and they use this knowledge to develop a program which they download onto a microcontroller circuit. They develop their circuit into a creative design solution for a stylish light to be mass/batch produced by studying the example of IKEA. They are taught about a range of smart materials which they are expected to incorporate into a range of imaginative design solutions.
Educational Toy
Pupils are assessed for their research and design development.
Progress & Preparation Activities (PPA)
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for design and technology. You can log in with the following details:Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 9 curriculum.
- IKEA – pupils can use this source when developing their research in Year 9.
- Technology Student – pupils can further their understanding of the electronics and material properties topics studied in Year 9.
Summary
Pupils undertake a major project in each discipline, and their subject knowledge is externally-tested at the end of the two-year course with a two-hour written examination. The coursework project constitutes 60% of the GCSE, and the examination 40%.
GCSE Design and Technology: Electronic Products
Level: GCSE
Examination Board: AQA
Curriculum
Pupils investigate a variety of electronic devices and circuitry through a systems approach. They then use this knowledge to design and make a suitable electronic circuit to solve a given problem. In Year 10, students will study the following topics:
- Electronic Components
- Electronic System Blocks
- Materials
- Processes and Manufacture
- Designing Skills
- Use of ICT
- Evaluation Techniques
Assessment
Unit 1
Written paper – End of year mock examination to assess their progress with their theory knowledge (does not count towards their final GCSE)
Unit 2
Controlled assessment – Coursework portfolio up to and including their design ideas is assessed – approximately 25% of GCSE
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for design and technology. You can log in with the following details:Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 10 curriculum.
- Technology Student – excellent revision resources for Year 10 students.
- AQA – examination board website, offering specifications, mark schemes and past papers.
- D&T Association – fantastic learning resources for students.
Curriculum
Pupils investigate a variety of electronic devices and circuitry through a systems approach. They then use this knowledge to design and make a suitable electronic circuit to solve a given problem. In Year 11, students will study the following topics:
- Electronic Components
- Electronic System Blocks
- Materials
- Processes and Manufacture
- Designing Skills
- Use of ICT
- Evaluation Techniques
- Microcontrollers
- Programming using flowcharts
Assessment
Unit 1
Written examination – 2 hours – 40% of GCSE.
Unit 2
Controlled Assessment – Coursework portfolio and practical assessment – 60% of GCSE.
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for design and technology. You can log in with the following details:Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 11 curriculum.
- Technology Student – excellent revision resources for Year 10 students.
- AQA – examination board website, offering specifications, mark schemes and past papers.
- D&T Association – fantastic learning resources for students.
GCSE Design and Technology: Resistant Materials
Level: GCSE
Examination Board: AQA
Curriculum
In Year 10, students will study the following topics:
- Components Adhesives and Applied finishes
- Processes and Manufacture
- Systems and Control
- Industrial Practices
- Design and Market Influences
- Task analysis
- Research and analysis
- Sustainability of design
- Product specification
- Designing
- Creativity
- Evaluation of ideas
Assessment
Unit 1
Written paper – End of year mock examination to assess their progress with their theory knowledge (does not count towards their final GCSE)
Unit 2
Controlled assessment – Coursework portfolio up to and including their design ideas is assessed – approximately 25% of GCSE
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for design and technology. You can log in with the following details:Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 10 curriculum.
- Technology Student – excellent revision resources for Year 10 students.
- AQA – examination board website, offering specifications, mark schemes and past papers.
- BBC Bitesize: GCSE Resistant Materials – excellent revision resources from the BBC.
Curriculum
PIn Year 11, students will study the following topics:
- Electronic Components
- Electronic System Blocks
- Materials
- Processes and Manufacture
- Designing Skills
- Use of ICT
- Evaluation Techniques
- Microcontrollers
- Programming using flowcharts
Assessment
Unit 1
Written examination – 2 hours – 40% of GCSE.
Unit 2
Controlled Assessment – Coursework portfolio and practical assessment – 60% of GCSE.
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for design and technology. You can log in with the following details:Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 11 curriculum.
-
- Technology Student – excellent revision resources for Year 10 students.
- AQA – examination board website, offering specifications, mark schemes and past papers.
- BBC Bitesize: GCSE Resistant Materials – excellent revision resources from the BBC.
GCSE Design and Technology: Food Technology
Level: GCSE
Examination Board: AQA
Curriculum
In Year 10, students will study the following topics:
- Understand the functional properties of food
- Understand the nutritional properties of food
- The effects of combining different ingredients and the interaction of foods during preparation and cooking
- The importance of appropriate proportions on the structure, shape and volume of mixtures
- The effects of acids and alkalis
- Understand the use of standard components in food processing
- Demonstrate competence in a range of practical food skills/methods/processes to produce quality outcomes
- Investigate the design opportunities
- Identify and use stages in the development of a food product prototype
Assessment
Unit 1
Written paper – End of year mock examination to assess their progress with their theory knowledge (does not count towards their final GCSE)
Unit 2
Controlled assessment – Coursework portfolio up to and including their design ideas is assessed – approximately 25% of GCSE
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for design and technology. You can log in with the following details:Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 10 curriculum.
- Food: A Fact of Life – some useful revision material for GCSE Food Technology.
- Technology Student – excellent revision resources for Year 10 students.
- S-Cool – revision website for food technology.
- BBC – useful videos for lots of different techniques we will use in GCSE.
- Jamie Oliver – information about how bad sugar is for our diet.
- BBC Good Food – useful for finding recipes.
Curriculum
In Year 11, students will study the following topics:
- Product prototype development
- Labelling, packaging, product information and codes of practice
- Social, economic, cultural and environmental considerations
- The use, need and effect of additives
- The impact and effect of using a range of different equipment to produce food items of quality and consistency
- Storage of Food and Food Products
- Manufacturing/Large Scale Production Requirements
- Technological Developments
Assessment
Unit 1
Written examination – 2 hours – 40% of GCSE.
Unit 2
Controlled Assessment – Coursework portfolio and practical assessment – 60% of GCSE.
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for design and technology. You can log in with the following details:Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 11 curriculum.
-
- Food: A Fact of Life – some useful revision material for GCSE Food Technology.
- Technology Student – excellent revision resources for Year 10 students.
- S-Cool – revision website for food technology.
- BBC – useful videos for lots of different techniques we will use in GCSE.
- Jamie Oliver – information about how bad sugar is for our diet.
- BBC Good Food – useful for finding recipes.
Summary
In systems and control, boys undertake a major project in each year, and their subject knowledge is externally-tested in a single examination at the end of both Year 12 and Year 13. The coursework component accounts for 50% of the final grade, with the written examinations accounting for the remaining 50%. For this qualification, please note that only the Year 13 curriculum is listed below; a new specification launches in September 2016.
In electronics, boys undertake one project in each year, and their subject knowledge is externally-tested in two separate written examinations at the end of both Year 12 and Year 13.
A-Level Design and Technology: Systems and Control
Level: A-Level
Examination Board: AQA
Curriculum
In Year 13, students will study the following topics:
Unit 3 – SYST3 Design and Manufacture
- Pneumatic Processing Systems
- Electronic Processing Systems
- Development of Technologies and Design
- Design in Practice
- Design in the Human Context
- Energy
- Systems and Control
Unit 4 – SYST4 Design and Making Practice
- Context and Objectives
- Plan of action and Clarification of Problem
- Development of Design Proposal
- Manufacture / Modelling
- Conclusions, Evaluations and Recommendations
- Communication and Presentation
Assessment
Unit 3 – SYST3 Design and Manufacture
Written examination – 2 hours (84 marks) – 25% of A-Level
Unit 4 – SYST4 Design and Making Practice
Coursework assignment – approximately 60 hours of work (85 marks) – 25% of A-Level.
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for design and technology. You can log in with the following details:Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 13 curriculum.
- Software for Education – electronics tutorials.
A-Level Electronics
Level: A-Level
Examination Board: OCR
Curriculum
In Year 12, students will study the following topics:
F611 – Simple Systems
- Simple Digital Systems
- Digital from Analogue
- Pulses
- Logic Systems
F612 – Signal Processors
- Storing signals
- Negative feedback
- Counting pulses
- Amplifying audio
- Microcontrollers
F613 – Build and Investigate Electronic Circuits
Students complete three short tasks:
- a digital circuit
- an analogue circuit that uses an op-amp
- a microcontroller circuit in which the microcontroller has been programmed using a flowchart technique.
Assessment
F611 – Simple Systems
Written examination – 1 hour 30 minutes – 36.5% of AS
Candidates answer all questions. This paper consists of short answer questions, calculations and extended written answers. Quality of written communication will be assessed in this paper.
F612 – Signal Processors
Written examination – 1 hour 30 minutes – 36.5% of AS
Candidates answer all questions. This paper consists of short answer questions, calculations and extended written answers. Quality of written communication will be assessed in this paper.
F613 – Build and Investigate Electronic Circuits
Investigation – recommended 5 hours lab time per task plus teaching time (80 marks) – 27% of AS
The investigation consists of three short tasks. The three areas of work are set by OCR, but the actual tasks based on these areas of work are chosen by the candidate in conjunction with the teacher. The work is internally-marked with reference to an OCR mark scheme. Each task is marked individually, but only one set of marks is submitted. Quality of written communication is marked at specific points throughout the assessment criteria unit.
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for design and technology. You can log in with the following details:Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 12 curriculum.
- Software for Education – electronics tutorials.
- OCR – examination board website, offering specifications, mark schemes and past papers.
- IKES – useful materials for study of AS/A2 Electronics.
Curriculum
In Year 13, students will study the following topics:
F614 – Electronic Control Systems
- MOSFET Circuits
- Digital Processing
- Servo
- Microcontroller Systems
F615 – Communication Systems
- Video Displays
- Modulating Carriers
- Frequency Division Multiplexing
- Time Division Multiplexing
F616 – Design, Build and Investigate Electronic Circuits
Students complete three short tasks:
- A single project in which candidates design, build, test and analyse a circuit that serves a useful purpose.
Assessment
F614 – Electronic Control Systems
Written examination – 1 hour 40 minutes (110 marks) – 18.25% of A-Level
Candidates answer all questions. This paper consists of short answer questions, calculations and extended written answers. Quality of written communication will be assessed in this paper. The questions draw on the knowledge gained in unit F614 and the AS units. This unit is synoptic.
F615 – Communication Systems
Written examination – 1 hour 40 minutes (110 marks) – 18.25% of A-Level
Candidates answer all questions. This paper consists of short answer questions, calculations and extended written answers. Quality of written communication will be assessed in this paper. The questions draw on the knowledge gained in unit F614 and the AS units. This unit is synoptic.
F616 – Design, Build and Investigate Electronic Circuits
Coursework project – 15 hours (60 marks) – 13.5% of A-Level
The investigation consists of a single electronics project. The electronics project is chosen by the candidate and centre. The work is internally-marked with reference to an OCR mark scheme and moderated by OCR. Quality of written communication is marked at specific points throughout the assessment criteria of this unit. This unit is synoptic.
Further Resources
The school has a subscription to The Day, an online news service for schools. Click the button to the right, in order to view activities and discussion points for design and technology. You can log in with the following details:Please see below for a number of resources to maximise students’ progress during their Year 13 curriculum.
- Software for Education – electronics tutorials.
- OCR – examination board website, offering specifications, mark schemes and past papers.
- IKES – useful materials for study of AS/A2 Electronics.
- STEM Engineering Club
- Electronics Club