Design Technology Curriculum

Design Technology aims to nurture creativity and teach the skills needed to devise brilliant ideas and turn them into reality.

Pupils are encouraged to design in a practical context, using a range of materials. They work on one or two projects per term, the majority of which are centred in product design, but we also cover aspects of engineering, graphics, systems and controls and textiles. All the projects incorporate elements of research, design context, theory, testing and evaluation and result in some form of outcome that the pupils can take home.

Many of the themes that covered are cross-curricular, with links to science, history, geography and drama. Some outcomes are used as props or form parts of the set for year group productions.

Across all year groups, pupils are guided to reflect on the impact that their designs and they, themselves, as consumers, have on the wider world and environment. They are encouraged to be courageous, innovative problem solvers.

Pupils in Years 4 – 8 have one timetabled hour of Design and Technology every week in the workshop. Extra-curricular opportunities also include:

• Teams of students in Year 7 and 8 take part in the Richmond Rotary Cub Technology Tournament.
• A weekly DT Club during break time, where pupils of all ages can work on their own projects or develop their class outcomes.
• Students are keen to help create props and build sets for the productions during their break times.
• Student run clubs, such as City Club, where they use recycled materials to create cities based on different themes each term. This provides lots of opportunity to socialise with pupils in different classes and year groups.

Year 4

Pupils are introduced to basic hand tools by working in teams to create models in response to a design brief. They also create hand puppets and make and test paper rockets.

Year 5

Pupils begin to use the larger workshop machinery like bench drills and scroll saws to create products in wood and plastics. They learn to use computer software to design and laser cut silhouette lamps, for which they also solder simple circuits. They complete marble run challenges in the summer term.

Year 6

Projects include cutting and heat bending acrylic mobile phone stands, creating novelty pocket torches and blister packaging with the vacuum former and racing their own model wind powered boats.

Year 7

Pupils investigate mechanisms through a mini pinball project, develop chocolate Easter egg branding for their sustainable packaging and pour their own chocolate eggs! They explore engineering concepts through a project about structures.

Year 8

Pupils design and create their own set of working portable speakers, by applying processes and theory that they have developed during their time at King’s House. They also experiment with pewter casting and smart materials in their final terms.