Our DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM

Design and Technology at Coopers is an inspiring, rigorous, and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others needs, wants and values.

Design and Technology will prepare pupils to participate confidently and successfully in an increasingly technological world. Pupils will gain awareness and learn from wider influences on Design and Technology including historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic factors. Pupils will get the opportunity to work creatively when designing and making and apply technical and practical expertise.

Our curriculum allows pupils to study core technical and designing and making principles, including a broad range of design processes, materials techniques and equipment. They will also have the opportunity to study specialist technical principles in greater depth.

Coopers Values: Trust, RESPECT AND RESILIENCE

In Design and Technology, we develop trust by:

• Pupils need to be trusted for their health and safety, their work, arriving on time and making sure they tidy away safely

In Design and Technology, we develop respect by:

• Making sure the pupils know how to respect each other’s work and workspace, we also make sure the pupils follow a strict health and safety guideline for their own and others safety.

In Design and Technology, we develop resilience by:

• Design and technology is a subject that thrives on things going wrong.  The pupils will need to develop resilience to make changes and improve choices throughout the iterative process.

WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: INCLUSIVE

In Design and Technology we ensure our curriculum is inclusive by:

• We study a diverse range of designers to inspire our pupils
• Scaffold by personalising the learning based on individual pupil need
• In Design and Technology a lot of our tasks are based on the outcome.  We will have different practical expectations of the pupil depending on their ability within the subject but always challenge all pupils to stretch their own learning and abilities.
• We try to use as much inclusive language as possible, however, we do also make sure that the pupils are learning correct terminology. 

WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: FOCUSED

In Design and Technology the pupils acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing, and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising, and capable citizens.

They learn about the environmental issues and how areas of Design and technology can and are helping to lower the impact our carbon footprint has on our environment.  We make sure that the pupils are fully aware of the 6R’s and we use them within all projects in the Design Technology department. 

In Design and Technology we identify powerful knowledge and having a good understanding of it is a prerequisite for understanding other related content.

By clearly identifying the powerful knowledge in each unit, teachers can ensure that their teaching and assessment is focused on the content that makes the biggest difference. 

We share this with pupils and their families using Knowledge Organisers. These are valuable tools for revision and retrieval practice

WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: SEQUENCED

Each project will build on the knowledge and skills the pupils have learnt before so that progress can be shown through ability, skill and outcome.

WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: COHERENT

In Design and Technology we ensure our curriculum is coherent by the use of Big Ideas that underpin all the learning in our subject. Each lesson is linked to a Big Idea, shared with the pupils at the start of the lesson, so they can call on prior learning and understand where each lesson fits within our curriculum.

Our Big Ideas are:

• Looking closer: Reflection, evaluation, and analysis.
• Responding creatively: Design, make and create.
• Seeking exploration: Materials, ideas, concept, and techniques.
• Gaining independence: Adapting, modifying, and developing.
• Presenting with care: layout, literacy, written work, portfolio.
• Working environments: Health and safety.
• Personal experience: Sensory, taste, feel, texture and exposure to the new

KS4 QUALIFICATIONS

 AQA Design and Technology