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What is Design and Technology?

Design and Technology is a practical-based subject. Students develop D&T capability through combining their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding to enable them to design and make products. As well as having its own distinctive knowledge, understanding and skills, D&T also requires students to apply the skills, knowledge and understanding from other subjects, especially art, mathematics and science. The students’ imagination, creativity and Inventiveness are stimulated as they develop products to meet precise specifications.

Why do students have to study D&T?

Design & Technology is a subject which recognizes that we spend most of our time PLANNING and MAKING things that affect our own lives and the lives of others. As adults we are required to carry out a wide range of activities drawing on an increasing range of knowledge, understanding and skills. Frequently we must make choices and decisions, usually working in teams. The D&T curriculum acknowledges that the world of work is a complex, rapidly changing environment in which young people must learn to be flexible and to negotiate with others in order to solve problems by developing functional and wider skills for learning and life. Students will develop their D&T capability through three types of activity. These include:­

How do we measure success?

Successful learners are students who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve. Students will be given target & aspirational target grades to help them achieve their full potential in Design & Technology. Self and peer assessment will be integrated into lessons and form part of assessment as well as more formal end of module tests. Tracks will be completed every six weeks to help students and parents monitor progress. We aim to help students become confident individuals who are able to lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives. We also encourage students to be responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society. In Design & Technology students will address the five areas related to the ‘Every Child Matters Agenda’

1. Be healthy
2. Stay safe
3. Enjoy and achieve
4. Make a positive contribution
5. Achieve economic well being

The Importance of Design & Technology

Design and Technology prepares pupils to participate in tomorrow’s rapidly changing technologies. They learn to think and intervene creatively to improve quality of life. The subject calls for pupils to become autonomous and creative problem solvers, as individuals and members of a team. They must look for needs, wants and opportunities and respond to them by developing a range of ideas and making products and systems. They combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetics, social and environmental issues, function and industrial practices. As they do so, they reflect on and evaluate present and past design and technology, its uses and effects. Through studying this subject, all pupils can become discriminating and informed users of products, and also become innovators.

At St Catherine’s School, we believe that every young learner should be entitled to develop creative, practical and interpersonal skills which will equip them for life in a technological society. It is absolutely vital that we educate the next generations of designers and technologists to support an economy in which our current Chancellor, George Osborne, wants ...the words: Made in Britain, Created in Britain, Designed in Britain and Invented in Britain to drive our nation forward.

Extra-curricular Activities/Visits offered

• Students are offered the opportunity to take part in both local and national competitions such as Future Chef and Young Enterprise.
• Students participate in the annual Bexley Science and Technology challenge held at Greenwich University. In 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 7 2013 students from St Catherine’s have been part of the overall winning team in the competition.
• KS3 STEM Club Year 8 – Students work with direction from London Southbank University Students to design and build a solar powered race car to compete in a regional race / challenge. Spring Term. Thursdays 3:15pm – 4:15pm.
• KS3 STEM Club Year 7 –Students design and build a renewable light source for the third world in the “Light Up The World” project. Summer Term. Thursdays 3:15pm – 4:15pm.
• KS3 Textiles “Sweatshop” KS3 students are given the opportunity to work on their own fashion garments and projects on Thursdays 3:20pm-4:20pm.
• Students in KS4 are given the opportunity to attend after-school clubs to complete and improve aspects of their project work.

Further Information

If you would like to find out more about the DT curriculum, please contact Mrs Maxwell at:

info@stccg.co.uk

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