Design & Technology

KS3 Art

Our high-quality art and design curriculum ay KS3 engages, inspires and challenges pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. Through the study of different topics their knowledge of how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation is established and developed through a portfolio of work.

GCSE Art

Students studying art at KS4 will develop and apply the knowledge, understanding and skills taught within the context of fine art practice and their selected area(s) of study. Students’ work is clearly focused and relevant to fine art and includes how sources relate to individual, social, historical, environmental, cultural and ethical contexts, working towards how their own ideas, themes, forms, feelings and concerns can inspire personally determined responses that are primarily aesthetic, intellectual or conceptual. The GCSE course focuses on a portfolio of work worth 60% of the GCSE grade, with an exam portfolio developed in Yr 11 worth 40%.

GCSE Art Textiles

Textile design is defined as the creation of designs and products for woven, knitted, stitched, printed or decorative textiles that might have a functional or non-functional purpose. Students studying art textiles at KS4 will develop and apply the knowledge, understanding and skills taught within the context of textiles and their selected area(s) of study. Students’ work is clearly focused and relevant to textiles and includes how sources relate to individual, social, historical, environmental, cultural and ethical contexts, working towards how their own ideas, themes, forms, feelings and concerns can inspire personally determined responses that are primarily aesthetic, intellectual or conceptual. Knowledge and skills taught at GCSE include, The GCSE course focuses on a portfolio of work worth 60% of the GCSE grade, with an exam portfolio developed in Yr 11 worth 40%.

KS3 Design and Technology

On a termly rotation, through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils are taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. Students work in a range of contexts including CAD/CAM, electronics, woodwork, graphic communication and food and nutrition over the course of Year 7 and 8. Technical knowledge plays a key role in Design and Technology, which is developed as students design, manufacture, cook and evaluate their own products. Key to all content taught at KS3 is the understanding of developments in design and technology, its impact on individuals, society and the environment, and the responsibilities of designers, engineers and technologists.

Textiles is taught throughout the year as a fortnightly lesson, with the aim to develop skills and their application to individual tasks and small projects. The aspects of knowledge taught aim to increase students understanding of the textile industry and the wider influences this material area has on the design of everyday products in use today.

GCSE Design and Technology 

GCSE Design and Technology at David Nieper Academy prepares students to participate confidently and successfully in an increasingly technological world. Students gain awareness and learn from wider influences on Design and Technology including historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic factors. Students get the opportunity to work creatively when designing and making and apply technical and practical expertise. Our GCSE allows students to study core technical and designing and making principles, including a broad range of design processes, materials techniques and equipment. Students complete a coursework element, worth 50% of their GCSE, followed by a 2hr exam to make up the final GCSE grade.

GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition 

GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition is an exciting and creative course which focuses on practical cooking skills to ensure students develop a thorough understanding of nutrition, food provenance and the working characteristics of food materials. At its heart, food preparation and nutrition focuses on nurturing students’ practical cookery skills to give them a strong understanding of nutrition. Food preparation skills are integrated into five core topics:

• Food, nutrition and health
• Food science
• Food safety
• Food choice
• Food provenance.

Students complete two different coursework units, leading to a final exam in Yr 11. Upon completion of this course, students will be qualified to go on to further study, or embark on an apprenticeship or full time career in the catering or food industries.

KS3 Computer Science 

In Year 7 and 8, students study the key aspects of computer science, including software applications, safe and responsible use, programming languages, computational thinking, data use, hardware and binary systems.  These are taught through a variety of applications and online platforms, introducing different computer programming systems and software that may be applied across the curriculum.