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Design & Technology

Curriculum Intent

Paxman Academy has developed from a rich industrial heritage and we aim to continue this legacy by producing future STEM leaders.We collaborate with STEM departments working to create challenges during enrichment days, clubs and school wide challenges.

The Design and Technology curriculum at Paxman follows the national curriculum framework, building on knowledge through well sequenced lessons across a range of subjects. It is our intent to nurture an innovative and enquiring mind, linking lessons to current trends and future possibilities.  We aim to progress and challenge students’ thinking and practical skills that can be developed according to student needs. 

As a team we consider Design and Technology to incorporate many key life skills, including accurate measuring, spatial awareness, risk taking, teamwork and time management. 

All students at Paxman Academy will be given the opportunity to engage in a DT experience – with Design Technology, Food and Textiles being taught to all KS3 students on a rotation. During their time in food they learn about health and safety, hygiene and knife skills, cooking basic dishes for themselves and others whilst learning about nutritional and healthy eating. Across the rotation of DT students engage in a number of real life design briefs and problem solve through iterative design to produce a range of outcomes, using card, board, wood, metal and plastics, with added electronics and CAD teaching. With textiles design and creativity is key, learning about fibres and fabrics and construction techniques.

Our curriculum offer in Design and technology creates students who can think, talk, read and write like Innovators, Technologists and Designers as demonstrated through their ability to:

  • Investigating & evaluating existing products.
  • Identifying the needs of a range of users including research and analysing existing products.
  • Communicating design ideas through modelling,drawing and verbal communication
  • Working independently and collaboratively when researching, developing and producing products
  • Developing social and environmental awareness through learning about environmentally friendly design themes, sustainability and being a responsible designer.
  • Producing designs that are fit for purpose
  • Growth of the iterative design process to enable further development and thinking skills
  • Developing a range of practical skills in areas of Product design, engineering, electronics, food and textile.

We do this through a range of projects:

Year7 Year 8 Year 9  KS4 Options
Food 

 

basic food hygiene and safety,

Cook simple food for themselves whilst learning about healthy eating

 Food 

 

Develop knife skills,  and food hygiene, Cooking a range of dishes whilst learning about seasonal and sustainable food

 Food 

 

Learn about nutrition and food processing whilst cooking a range of healthy dishes to feed themselves and others

 3D design
Plastic phone holder

 

Health and safety in the workshop, using hand tools to create a phone holder whilst learning about the properties of plastic

 Materials

 

Recap of safety whilst using a range of hand tools and machines to create a pacman from METAL  and learn about metal

 Memphis Clock

 

Students learn about materials and skills whilst making a iconic lamp

 Engineering 
Architecture

 

Developing skills in technical drawing and CAD, whilst  look at architecture

 Graphic Product design

 

Developing technical drawing and CAD skills, to support communication of ideas and construction 

 Technical Drawing

 

Refining technical drawing and CAD skills, to develop the communication of ideas

 Hospitality and Catering
Supermarket stitch : Textiles

 

Produce a small product  – can or packet using a range of hand sewing skills including applique  and understand how fabrics are made

 Systems and Control:

 

Students learn about basic electronics, programming units, biomimicry and moving parts

 Fabric Portrait :Textiles – 

 

Edo Morales inspired creative piece created to make a unique final product

 Textiles

This plan will evolve over time to reflect the students needs, staff skills and the local labour market.

Paxman students will leave having developed technological capability and skills in order for them to function successfully in a technological society that is constantly evolving, building resilience to face many of life’s challenges and gaining confidence with resilience.

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