Design and Technology

Design and Technology

Introduction
It has been said, “All that is not nature is art”. I would go one step further and suggest, “All that is not nature is, in fact, design”. Why? If a product is not from nature itself, then someone has had to sit down and sketch a solution for it – an answer to the problem. A quick look at the world around us gives us a pretty good idea of how vast, and how important, design as a subject discipline is.

Aims and philosophy
Design and Technology is a subject of application. The application of scientific knowledge, of artistic endeavour and of divergent (creative) thought processes. One of the main aims of the faculty is to inspire and empower our future designers, engineers and food technologists and excite passion in our teaching so that they can develop products they love with sensitivity to an ever-changing world.

Designing and making is an intelligent activity. It is entirely compatible with high levels of numeracy and literacy – the design process itself draws on areas such as maths, science, technology, communication and art. Designing is a truly creative and intellectually challenging activity; developing divergent and creative abilities is a basic function of education; however one of the conundrums within the subject title is the word design. It’s a word that we all think we know the definition of. But when you start to try and define it gets slippery. Students at Claremont will learn that design can’t be discussed unless the ethics of a given project is in the mix – design is about making things better for people through aesthetic and functional consideration and development.

What we offer
KS3 (Yr7-9)
At KS3 we follow NC scheme for DT which allows pupils to develop skills, knowledge and understanding in a number of materials and processes which include: resistant materials, food, textiles, control, electronics, mechanisms, graphic design and CAD / CAM.

GCSE and A Level
Four GCSE subjects are on offer: Resistant Materials (wood, metal and plastics), Graphic Products, Textile Design and Food Technology. (All AQA).
At AS / A2 the AQA Design and Technology, Product Design and the A&D Textile Design courses are followed.