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Departmental Aims


“The academic is not the only road by which good minds can travel”.

“15 to 18″, (The Crowther Report), 1959

Aims

  • To develop capability in the skills, processes, knowledge and understanding involved in designing and making.
  • To develop a critical awareness about the made world and the recognition that pupils can bring about change.
  • To develop a sense of enjoyment and pride in pupils ability to design and make.
  • To develop a range of skills related to decision-making and management.

Objectives

 These objectives, derived from the aims, will guide us in our decisions in relation to planning schemes of work. They will also form the basis of evaluation.

a)     To develop capability in the skills, processes, knowledge and understanding involved in designing and making.

  • To provide opportunities for pupils to combine designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding in order to design and make products.
  • To develop an understanding of the processes of designing and making.
  • To develop a repertoire of specific skills, knowledge and understanding useful in designing and making.
  • To encourage pupils to study existing products in order to develop design and technological skills, knowledge and understanding.

b)    To develop a critical awareness about the made world and the recognition that pupils can bring about change.

  • To provide opportunities for pupils to evaluate products in order to learn how they function and to develop an understanding of quality.
  • To develop an understanding of how designers work to meet people’s needs and values.
  • To provide opportunities for pupils to design and make products in response to needs and opportunities.

c)     To develop a sense of enjoyment and pride in pupils’ ability to design and make.

  • To celebrate the value of designing and making activity, evaluating their own, each others and other people’s work, past and present.
  • To display pupil’s work and the work of other designers.

d)    To develop a range of skills related to decision making and management.

  • To provide opportunities for pupil’s to work independently and in teams.
  • To help pupil’s to work within constraints, eg. time, materials, space, equipment, ability, health and safety.
  • To develop a sense of responsibility for their working environment and resources.
  • To develop control technology skills.