Design & Technology at Tormead
Design and Technology GCSE and Lower School Focus
Design and Technology is about solving problems: how can we use technology and design to address needs and problems that we identify around us? Design and Technology has developed from the traditional subjects of Woodwork, Metalwork, Engineering Drawing and Graphics. It has made huge advances from these subjects, which were considered as life skills, and quite separate to the academic curriculum. The subject is now centred on the design and make process, and specifically covers the area of product design.
A focus on the understanding of the design process is a crucial part of the subject and is taught from Year 7. Design and Technology develops project management and problem-solving skills alongside oral, written and graphical communication and presentation skills. The subject is particularly relevant to anyone considering a career in design, including product design, or industrial, graphic, corporate or environmental design. It also has relevance to the fields of mechanical and civil engineering, manufacturing, marketing and advertising, interior design and architecture, as well as other more specialised design and engineering careers, which several Tormead girls have gone on to study at university.
- Lower School
Girls study Design and Technology once a week in Years 7, 8 and 9. Each year group will complete a design and make project spanning the entire year. In Year 7, girls are introduced to the design process and taught a range of practical skills, including the use of hand tools and workshop machines. The Year 8 project will build on these skills and develop the girls’ ability to present their ideas graphically and allow them to have more creative control over aspects of their project, as well as focusing on precision and accuracy. Year 9 girls follow a similar format to a GCSE D&T project in which they will be given a context but all other design decisions regarding materials, functions and processes will be made individually by each student, using the knowledge they have built up over the previous two years.
- GCSE
Years 10 and 11 students follow the Edexcel GCSE Design and Technology course. In Year 10, designing and making skills are developed through a range of small projects. These will include design tasks and practical work and are intended to be a learning experience, so marks will not count towards the final GCSE qualification. This means that students are free to experiment and explore without prescribed limits. Design and Technology theory will be learned through practical application and some stand-alone theory lessons. Most of Year 11 is used to complete the Design and Make non-exam assessment task. This is developed from a topic chosen by the student from a range of possible contexts set by the examination board. It is submitted as a manufactured product, supported by a succinct and logical design folder, and counts for 50% of the GCSE. The other 50% is a written examination taken at the end of Year 11.
- Enrichment
There are several activities allowing the girls to further explore their interest in the subject. In the Lower School, weekly 3D Printing and Laser Cutting Clubs takes place in which girls learn how to use a CAD (Computer Aided Design) program to design and then manufacture a range of small products. In the Upper School, girls can attend Engineering Club where they solve practical problems as a team. Previously, girls have constructed a go-kart from timber and reclaimed bike parts.
11-16 Years
Our pupils enjoy exceptional educational opportunities within a caring and happy environment.
