Design & Technology is a compulsory area of the Year 9 curriculum for all students at Arrow Vale Academy. All year 9 students follow our Design & Technology foundation course for one lesson per week and they are taught in mixed ability groups.

Students complete a range of design and make projects in Design Technology, as well as studying several different topics and making different food products in Food and Nutrition.   Students rotate around these areas on a two-weekly timetable, having Design Technology one week and Food and Nutrition the next.

Along with the designing & making skills specific to each unit, students are taught a number of generic skills common to all of the units such as the design process, sketching & drawing, Health & safety and how to incorporate sustainability into their products as well as exploiting opportunities to use ‘Computer Aided Design’ to create high quality products.

The projects are supplemented by a range of focused practical tasks aimed at building the necessary practical skills to produce high quality products. Students are assessed in accordance with the National Curriculum level descriptors.

The course equally prepares students to be able to continue their studies at GCSE and ultimately ‘A’ level or to follow the BTEC vocational courses offered by the faculty.

Design & Technology by opting from a range Key Stage 4 courses. We offer a number of GCSE courses at GCSE these are:

AQA GCSE Design & Technology

Our GCSE Design and Technology course will prepare students to participate confidently and successfully in an increasingly technological world. Students will work creatively to develop knowledge and skills by studying core technical, designing and making principles, including a broad range of design processes, materials techniques and equipment. Students will focus on health and safety in the workshop and can work with equipment such as a CAD/CAM software, 3D printer, laser cutter, Circuit machine, sublimation printer, hand tools and much more. In year 11 students will have the opportunity to study specialist technical principles in greater depth when they work on their own personal coursework investigations. Students will complete one coursework project which is 50% of the overall course in YR11 and sit a written exam also weighing 50%.

EDUQAS GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition

Students develop their knowledge and skills in working with food and making attractive, quality, food products. Students study a range of different theory topics in preparation for their written exam at the end of the course. This includes the different Food commodities, including Cereals, fruits and vegetables and meat, poultry, fish and eggs. They also learn core knowledge including principles of nutrition and the science of cooking food. Students also complete two coursework projects in Year 11. One of these is a food science investigation where the experiment how different ingredients affect a food product. A new title is released every year for this. They also have a second piece of coursework where they must research, plan and prepare three dishes around the given topic. Students then need to make and present these dishes in a professional manner showing off their high-level practical skills and health, safety and hygiene knowledge.

Pearsons BTEC Tech awards Engineering

Students will study technical knowledge and technical skills by having the opportunity to develop sector-specific knowledge and skills in a practical learning environment. The main focus is on four areas of equal importance, which cover the development of key engineering practical and technical skills, such as research, observation, measurement, making, using computer-aided design (CAD) and disassembly. Students will gain knowledge of key engineering sectors (mechanical, electrical/electronic and engineering design) and the interrelation of each in industry. Throughout the course students will be focusing on knowledge of the stages involved in planning and implementing an engineering project and the knowledge and skills involved in the investigation of solutions to engineering problems in response to a given brief. This course complements the learning in GCSE programmes such as GCSE Design and Technology by broadening the application of design and make tasks, working with an engineering brief, testing and evaluation. The course is broken down into 3 components, two are internally assessed through coursework focusing on both practical and research/written submissions and one component is externally set and assessed by Pearson and is the form of a practical exam made up of two parts.

In Year 12 students can opt to continue their study in the Design & Technology through selecting from the following courses.

AQA Three-Dimensional Design

In year 12 Students will be introduced to a variety of experiences that explore a range of three-dimensional media, processes and techniques. Students will explore the use of drawing for different purposes, using a variety of methods and media on a variety of scales. Students can work with equipment such as CAD/CAM, laser cutter, Circuit machine, 3D printer and much more.  In year 13 students will focus on their own personal investigation coursework project followed by an exam topic. Students are required to work on one or more areas of Three-dimensional design, such as ceramics, sculpture, exhibition design, design for theatre, television and film, interior design, product design, environmental and architectural design, jewellery/body ornament and 3D digital design. Students will be expected to choose, demonstrate and explore an area, researching into designers and artists to influence their own designs and processes and is integral to the investigating and making process. Students’ responses to these examples will be shown through practical and critical activities that demonstrate their understanding of different styles, working methods, such as model-making, constructing and assembling. Considering safe use and a variety of appropriate tools and equipment and applying critical evaluation and analysis to their personal investigations.

WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in Food Science and Nutrition

Students study 3 units across the two years of the course. Unit 1 is studied in year 12 and is a double unit worth half of their overall grade. Student must complete a piece of coursework where they research the nutritional needs and requirements of a given individual or group and then plan a three-course meal based on these specific needs. Students must show a thorough understanding of the specific needs and the chemical structures and functions of given ingredients. They also study a wide range of theory content including chemical structures of nutrients, specific requirements for certain nutrients and government guidelines for a healthy diet. This is in preparation for a written exam at the end of year 12.

In Year 13 students’ study two more units. Unit 2 is ensuring food is safe to eat where students must have knowledge of micro-organisms, how food can cause ill health and managing food safety. They are then tested on this knowledge at the end of year 13 where they have an assignment brief that is completed in controlled conditions. Unit 3 is experimenting to solve food production problems where they need to have a good understanding of the scientific properties of food and need to solve food production problems. They have a piece of coursework where they need to complete a scientific investigation into changes in food and report their results.

The department recognises the importance of enrichment opportunities in engaging students. We present an ever-increasing number of opportunities in front of our students. These are:

• Visits to local restaurants as part of enriching the catering learning experience.
• Visits to colleges and universities offering engineering and design courses
• Apprenticeship programme visits
• Visit and workshops from 1st year university students from Warwick university.
• Industrial visits for A level students to companies using new technologies.

In addition, several students take the opportunity to bring in projects from home to work on in extracurricular time.

• Year 11 : DT/Engineering : Working with a Dyson engineering box to solve issues relating to designs and products. Disassembling products and re-assembling them correctly.
• Food and nutrition students to visit food venues and restaurants, Good Food Show (NEC) and McMillan Coffee morning and other charity events.

Students’ Social Moral Spiritual & Cultural is developed in design & technology and engineering in several ways. We believe that in educating our students to think about the impact of their designing and making on the environment and people. Sustainability and the clear understanding of how this is applied to designing new products are paramount if we are to protect the world’s natural resources. Students are also expected to grow and develop a sense of social responsibility, mutual respect and care for each other through our teaching of behaviour self-regulation. We expect students to influence the behaviour of others around them by encouraging a confidence to challenge each other when standards fall below our collective expectations.

Mutual respect is engendered through the process of peer evaluation of each other’s work and standards. We empower students to take criticism positively and to articulate their views in a respectful and sensitive way. We support this through the celebration of human fallibility as a motivator to learn and succeed.

We support students search for Meaning and Purpose through encouraging creativity in projects and challenge them with the fundamental question, How will my designing benefit humanity? Students draw upon a variety of sources for inspiration. Many of these are natural but true creativity comes from the freedom to explore within more open-ended projects

Equal Opportunities: Is Taught through collaborative and team learning. Valuing contributions and celebrating these as well as outcomes. We try to instil in students that the journey is more important than the outcome because that is where true understanding is gained.

Spiritual Development in Design and Technology and Engineering

Spiritual development is of a very high importance in design & technology and engineering. The process of creative thinking and innovation inspires students to bring out undiscovered talents, which in turn breeds a self-confidence and belief in their abilities. It also challenges and appeals to the creative instincts that have driven humanity to discover, adapt and overcome. Within our schemes of work, we seek to develop these.

Year 9- Design Technology

Students get a great sense of enjoyment from designing and creating products. The fun element of making, testing and evaluating using new skills gives students opportunities to challenge themselves and discover talents they were unaware of.

Year 10 – Design Technology and Engineering

In design technology students work with a variety of materials to create products through designing, cutting, shaping & forming them. Creating products using a variety of machinery and equipment creates an excitement and a sense of real achievement. In Engineering students work with a Dyson project to disassemble and assemble a project leading to critical thinking and analysing.

Year 11 – Design Technology and Engineering

The major design & make project in design technology engages students and in Engineering students design, make and test a prototype using a range of skills. Through both courses’ students learn to be resilient and have to manage a range of emotions throughout the project. Students learn a lot about their own character and develop key attributes needed to see a long project through. The sense of pride in the journey they have taken at the end of the project is evident.

Year 12 & 13- Three-Dimensional Design

Students gain a great deal of spiritual development through working with previous artists and designers work, developing their own thoughts and ideas, allowing them to develop on their findings. This challenges the students to ‘dig deep’ within themselves to solve real problems with a significant outcome

Moral Development in Design and Technology and Engineering

In design & technology and engineering we seek to develop a sense of ‘moral conscience’ in our students, through focusing upon the moral dilemmas raised in designing and making new products. We teach students to understand the wider impacts on the environment when designing and making new products and expect them to consider carefully the materials & components they will use when designing and making. We encourage sustainable thinking through the active application of the ‘6 R’s’ and to highlight the impact on environmentally sensitive areas of the world.

Year 9- Design Technology

Students are taught about the moral choices facing designers and manufacturers when deciding on materials. Students use the six ‘Rs’ of sustainability to understand and apply ways of conserving the earth’s resources.

Year 10 – Design Technology and Engineering

Students are taught about the moral dilemmas created by technological activities. Through discussion students look at the wider implications of using materials from non-renewable sources. In design technology projects, students focus on materials and the environmental impact their choice may have. With practical work students are given a set amount of material to work with and are taught about waste and re-using materials. In Engineering students consider the environmental impact of materials. In both courses students have to justify the selection and use of materials in projects.

Year 11- Design Technology and Engineering

During the coursework project students must consider the use of CAD/CAM in designing and making products and the benefits and impact of CAD/CAM on skills and traditional craftsmen can they co-exist. In Engineering students consider their material choice and evaluate products based on their chosen materials and justify why.

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Year 12 & 13- Three-Dimensional Design

The course prepares the students for the world of work in which they will have to communicate and work with a diverse range of people. Students are taught how to keep themselves, as well as others safe when using equipment and machinery during practical lessons. Students are taught to be resourceful and encouraged to reflect on the impact they, as consumers, have on the environment when conducting their personal investigations.

Social Development in Design and Technology and Engineering

Social development is a key feature of all design & technology lessons. We teach the concept of self-regulation to ensure that students accept responsibility for their behaviour and the safety of others. We encourage students to give each other reminders when standards fall short of the collective expectation. This establishes and maintains a safe, secure, learning environment. We place an emphasis on developing the ability to work with other and to accept each other’s unique personality. We encourage effective conversations about the work we do through self & peer evaluation, and to give and accept constructive criticism as a vehicle to improve students learning outcomes.

Year 9- Design Technology

Within design technology students are given opportunities to work in small groups and pairs to solve design problems. By peer assessing work they learn from each other and are taught to articulate their ideas through combining researching, designing, prototyping, discussion and writing.

Students are taught the social skills around behaviour self-regulation to ensure collective responsibility for a safe and efficient working environment. They are taught to challenge each other’s behaviour or practices if they fall short of the collective expectations of the group.

Year 10 – Design Technology and Engineering

In design technology and engineering, throughout the design and make activities students are taught the skills of critical evaluation of each other’s work. Students are taught to give and accept constructive criticism as a basis of improving their learning outcomes. This takes the form of evaluating techniques and skills as well as design work and prototype modelling.

Year 11- Design Technology and Engineering

In design technology and engineering as part of coursework projects, students are required to actively comment upon initial design work and their developed ideas. Students are taught how to justify improvements they are suggesting to their own and other’s designs and prototypes and to communicate this effectively.

Year 12 & 13- Three-Dimensional Design

Students are taught to give and accept constructive criticism as a basis of improving their design outcomes. This takes the form of evaluating techniques and skills as well as design work and prototype modelling.

Cultural Development in Design and Technology and Engineering

We develop wider cultural awareness in design 7 technology through projects that have a connection with our past heritage and how our industrial routes have shaped our nation. We seek to expand student’s knowledge of other cultures influences on design and manufacture including an increasing awareness of the influences digital manufacturing developments from other countries is having on the designing and making of products that we use.

Year 9- Design Technology

During the project students research and analysis, a chosen art movement or designer to influence their project ideas. Reflecting on how the movements have influence design today and how technologies have moved design technology forward.

Year 10 – Design Technology and Engineering

In design technology students are taught about the culture of designers and their impact on consumers and their influence on other designers. In engineering students research into a variety of engineers and companies to see how the companies have developed and have grown, considering how they interconnect with other countries and companies.

Year 11 – Design Technology and Engineering

Students are taught to understand how products have developed over time with the influence of technological advances. They research and evaluate the developments of products and look at the key advances in manufacturing, materials and/or electronic technologies that have developed the product over time.

Year 12 & 13- Three-Dimensional Design

Students research designers work in a variety of countries to help form and influence their own design ideas. Reflecting on why certain designs, materials or manufacturing processes will have been used based on the cultural influences on the design/structure.

Subjects in Food and Nutrition are heavily focused on people – the focus on service to customers and the communication between individuals and as a team – and the relationships that needs to be built for this to work is of high importance. Therefore, Food and Nutrition is a subject which is well equipped to contribute to students’ Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education. In every lesson, students are expected to consider the needs and experiences of themselves and others, or come up with their own personal responses to events or dilemmas which prepares learners to take into account the diverse array of beliefs and cultures that they will encounter every day – both inside and outside of school life.

Food and Nutrition equips learners with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary for their futures as citizens as well as professional employees and ensures they, as young people, can be part of a vibrant, cohesive society.

Spiritual Development in Food and Nutrition

Spiritual education in Food and Nutrition ensures that students achieve their best in a creative and innovative way.

The freedom to adapt recipes and create unique, innovative products excites the students and enables them to ensure that their work reflects their individual personality and creates their own unique twist.

Adapting, making and evaluating products unlocks the creativity of our students and creates a sense of challenge, pride and self-fulfilment.

Year 9:

Students investigate nutrition and the issues surrounding this, including body image and dietary related diseases related to health.

Year 10:

Students in year 10 when completing their mock Controlled Assessment, are faced with the challenge of researching, choosing, preparing and making a range of food products of their own choice. Students use their creativity to their full potential and are filled with pride when they complete this.

Year 11:

In Year 11 students use their imagination and creativity, as well as reflection on previous experiences to complete their controlled assessment Task 2. They have free choice to prepare and make products in a set time frame, which is challenging, but immensely enjoyable. They learn about the different food choices around the world, as well as the cooking methods

Moral Development in Food and Nutrition

In Food and Nutrition, we seek to develop a moral conscience in our students through working with key moral issues surrounding the sourcing, preparation and cooking of food.

We encourage students to work with one another as a team, particularly with others that they may not ordinarily work with to complete activities and to guide each other on topics such as presentation, safety during preparation and cooking and storage of food.

This prepares the students for the world of work in which they will have to communicate and work with a diverse range of people.

Students are taught how to keep themselves, as well as others safe when using equipment which may pose a danger or when cooking food for themselves and their families.

Students gain an understanding of the moral dilemmas surrounding food that we as a society must take into consideration, including animal slaughter and health, hygiene and safety. Students are taught that is the passion of the chef to ensure that food is served to a high standard, but that they have a moral responsibility to ensure that food served is safe to eat.

During practical lessons, students are taught to be resourceful and encouraged to reflect on the impact they, as consumers, have on the environment.

Year 9:

In this unit, students investigate Fair Trade, what is it, what products we can purchase which are Fair Trade and why consumers choose to do so.

Year 10:

In the meat unit, students discover how meat is raised and prepared for slaughter. They reflect on their own feelings and emotions about this and debate the positive and negatives of the meat production process. They reflect on their own opinions of this and consider reasons why some people make the life choice to become vegetarian and issues surrounding animal welfare.

Year 11:

Within the sustainability unit, students investigate the wastage that occurs in the Food industry. This includes natural resources such as energy and water, as well as food wastage that occurs in the food sector. Students then are taught how to be sustainable in their own lives in relation to the 6 R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink, refuse and repair, in order to save resources and maintain a healthy, sustainable environment. Students gain a sense of ownership and responsibility of this learning when shopping for food for their practical ingredients which empowers them to make sustainable choices.

Social Development in Food and Nutrition

Social Development and education are a key focus in Food and Nutrition, looking at how students will develop and mature into young, professional adults.

Lots of opportunities are provided to enable students to develop team working skills and to take responsibility for their own learning.

The students are taught effective communication through collaborative learning, both during theory and practical lessons – this includes both peers and adults – and are encouraged to have positive interactions with one another. Students peer and self-assess work, constructive feedback is taught.

Students are encouraged to consider the social responsibility of the food industry including food choice, issues surrounding food and packaging, as well as wastage. They take part in debates, thinking about these types of issues as well as the benefits and drawbacks of scientific and technological issues in the food world, such as GM foods.

Students are taught to possess self-regulation and teach and remind this to others around them to establish a safe and positive working environment.

Year 9:

When studying nutrients in food, students must work together to investigate and discuss the various nutrients. They learn to communicate effectively to independently discover information and present to the rest of the class.

Year 10:

In the health and safety unit, year 10 students are taught how to work safely and hygienically in the kitchen environment. They are taught how to use equipment properly as well as to store, prepare and cook food to a safe standard using controls such as HACCP and the use of the temperature probe.

Year 11:

All year 11 students are encouraged to work together to discover and learn. They are encouraged to work as a team, particularly during practical lessons, to ensure they produce high quality outcomes and guarantee professionalism in the kitchen. They are encouraged to communicate effectively with each other and other adults in a positive and professional manner. This is learned through the communication and record keeping unit which demonstrations the importance of effective communication in the catering and hospitality industry for all employees to create the best service they can for the customer.

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN Food and Nutrition

Cultural education is intrinsic in Food and Nutrition, it is a multi-cultural industry offering a variety of ingredients, dishes, ideas and cooking methods from around the world.

Cultural education in Food and Nutrition involves looking at the values, traditions and beliefs of different groups of people, communities and nationalities and reflecting on this. They are challenged to compare this to their own beliefs and cultures and explain why and how these are different.

Within the subject, students can investigate various types of food from around the world. Key terminology is used in French. They taste test foods from around the world, as well as research, design and make products and dishes from foreign countries using a variety of multi-cultural cooking methods, processes and techniques.

Year 9:

Students explore multiculturalism in food when they explore dishes and ingredients from around the world and discover world cuisines and how these differentiate to British food culture. Students also research food choice and how this differs in different cultures.

Year 10:

In the meat, fish and bread units Year 10 students can produce products from different cultures and use ingredients from around the world. For examples, the produce curries, sweet and sour pork, choux pastry and Irish soda bread. They use various cooking methods including stir frying, poaching and grilling.

Year 11:

Year 11 students complete their controlled assessment task on creating a two-course meal for international week. They research, investigate and make products from a country of their choice, looking at international cooking methods and foreign ingredients. Students use key French terminology when producing their time plan to aid them during their practical assessment.

Food and Nutrition enables year 11 students to understand cultural diversity by exposing them to different attitudes, values and traditions of other cultures, including religious and non-religious ones when they examine food choice and the factors behind this. Students reflect on their own identity and reasoning behind their own culture, traditions and beliefs.