Close
Part of Gosforth Group
Search
Jesmond Park Academy Careers
  1. Home
  2. Curriculum
  3. Subjects
  4. Technology
  5. Technology

Technology

If it wasn’t grown or born, it was designed and made. The study of Design and Technology equips students with practical and technical life skills and an understanding of how the world around us works.

Design and Technology Curriculum Philosophy and Intent Statement

The acquisition of knowledge in Design and Technology helps students become inquisitive and informed about the world around them. Knowledge in Design Technology includes the knowledge of how things work and are made and enables students to contribute actively to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of themselves and their community. The development of skills teaches how to take risks and so become a more resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable member of society, who is self-sufficient and independent.

Design and Technology is the real life application of maths and science. Through the applying of skills such as measurement and knowledge about materials and their properties, Design and Technology nurtures the development of practical and technical skills as well as knowledge in design, structures, mechanisms, electrical control and a range of materials.

Design and Technology encourages students’ creativity and encourages then to think about important issues such as the environmental impact of the products we design and use, the moral and ethics behind designing for manufacture, sustainability, enterprise and the need to design inclusively. Additionally, it provides excellent opportunities for students to develop and apply value judgements of an aesthetic, economic, and technical nature both in their own designing and when evaluating the work of others and commercial products.

We feel it is vital to nurture creativity and innovation through design, and to do this by exploring the designed and made world in which we all live and work.

 

 

Design and Technology Curriculum Content Statement.

In Design and Technology, it is vital that students acquire a sound base knowledge of materials; their physical and mechanical properties and practical applications, as well as manufacturing processes. Students should be aware of different design strategies including the iterative design process. Students should be taught about the role of the designer, inclusive design and the moral, social and ethical implications of designing and manufacturing new products. Students will learn about famous designers, design movements and sources of inspiration in order to have a good frame of reference for their own designing. Students will be taught about the application of new technologies in manufacturing and learn about the positive and negative aspects of the introduction of systems such as automation and, ‘Just in Time,’ manufacture. The study of Design and Technology will teach students about sustainability and the impact of consumerism on the environment. Students will also learn how to think creatively about design and engineering problems in a real-life context.

It is important that the study of Design and Technology supports the development of subject specific vocabulary and offers students the opportunity to develop their skills of oracy. Students’ knowledge and understanding will be assessed through regular low stakes testing in order to identify gaps in knowledge and clear up misconceptions, to ensure accurate understanding. Staff will develop learning activities which support the development of long-term memory and will revisit key areas of knowledge each year, developing complexity and challenge, as part of a spiral curriculum.

Technology at Jesmond Park Academy

There are many key skills to be developed within Design and Technology, from using tools and equipment accurately and safely, to effective product analysis and annotation of design ideas. Students will be taught how to measure, mark and form a range of materials in order to produce practical outcomes and product prototypes. Students will learn how to produce sketches and formal drawings in order to communicate their intentions graphically. Skills of evaluation and analysis in relation to the suitability and development of products will also be developed.

Key areas of study will be revisited each year, increasing in complexity and challenge. These key areas include:

  • The Study of Materials: Categories, Characteristics and Properties.
  • Manufacturing Processes: How are things made?
  • Design Strategies: From linear to iterative.
  • Design Influences: Where do design ideas come from?
  • Environmental Impact and Sustainable Living: Going Green
  • Renewable Energy: Green Power
  • Graphic Communication: How Engineers and designers communicate their ideas.

Downloads