Design Technology/Engineering
Engineering
The Engineering Department delivers DT in year 7 and 8, and in year 9 students do a bridging year giving them an opportunity to transfer skills from the DT National Curriculum to BTEC Engineering. The philosophy of the Engineering department is that students learn by doing and conceptualising their thoughts and ideas, as well as developing their knowledge and understanding of industry and the workplace. The Engineering department is particularly well equipped with a comprehensive range of tools equipment and resources including lathes, milling machines, planer, computer controlled laser cutter and 3D printers. A particular strength is the range of equipment and staff expertise in Engineering and Computer Aided Design. The ready access to a dedicated computer suite allows students to use the very latest CAD and simulation software in the development of their products. These resources allow the students to acquire traditional craft skills as well as enabling them to design and make products using high tech manufacturing and production methods.
With practical work and projects at all levels to challenge our students and high academic results, we are very successful at recruiting students at BTEC Level 1/2 and Level 3 who later go on to some of the most prestigious universities in the UK.
Key Stage 3 All students study Design and Technology in both year 7 and 8 in 6 half term modules. DT projects are used to introduce and develop practical skills in working with resistant materials (wood, metal, plastics, etc.). Projects include a wooden pencil box, a wood and acrylic spice rack, wind chime and night light. Design skills, based on the design process, include sketching, annotating and developing ideas, computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacture (CAM) using a laser cutter, making and testing/evaluation. In this way students learn traditional woodworking and engineering skills as well as modern CAD/CAM technologies.
Key Stage 4
Exam Board: Pearson/ Edexcel
Specification: BTEC Tech Award in Engineering Level 1/2
Pupils can opt to study Engineering as an option choice at the end of year 8i, we use year 9 as a foundation year to introduce new topics and concepts and to develop the skills learnt in years 7 and 8.
Year 9: Students are introduced to Engineering within this transition year. They are given an opportunity to develop their research skills, and working to a client brief. They are introduces to developing their hand drawn preliminary and development drawings, plan drawings using 2D Designer, 3D modelling using Sketchup and progress to Solidworks. They have an opportunity to develop modelling skills and learn how to produce and evaluate a final product. There is also an opportunity to develop their subject knowledge of processes and materials in manufacturing.
Year 10: Students complete their first two assignments for their Engineering BTEC course. Assignment A and B- includes exploring engineering sectors and design applications – this develops their understanding of engineering sectors, products and organisations, and how they interrelate, as well as exploring engineering skills through the design process. These assignments count for 30% of the overall grade.
Year 11: Students complete their next three assignments for their Engineering BTEC course. Assignment A, B and C- includes investigating an engineering project, develop their understanding of materials, components and processes for a given engineered product. They also investigate a given engineered product using disassembly techniques, and investigate an engineering project plan the manufacture and safely reproduce/inspect/test a given engineered component. These assignments count for 30% of the overall grade. The remaining 40% is comprised of an externally assessed task that involves undertaking an experiment as well as a design task.
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