"Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it." Sir Henry Royce

Vision

We believe that Product Design should be used to promote an understanding of the world around us; recognition of past and present engineers, technologies and designers, and anticipating future technologies with an eye on global impact. Through student interaction we seek to ensure that all students become successful problem solvers and critical thinkers as well as knowledgeable, confident, creative and discerning consumers.

Aims

Technology aims to develop students’ cultural capital. Students learn to design and make products that solve genuine, relevant problems within different contexts whilst considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. Students will acquire a broad range of specialist subject knowledge whilst drawing on additional disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art.

The department aim is to see all students who study Technology at Newfield School mature into socially responsible adults capable of making a positive impact in today’s ever-changing society, be it voluntarily, in employment, further training or higher education.

Curriculum

The curriculum is dynamic, well-paced and enjoyable.  Meeting the needs of every learner whilst keeping up with the latest technological developments. Lessons are challenging, innovative and student centred.  Building knowledge and skills over time to develop senior students with advanced level understanding. Lessons take place in safe and well managed practical environments. The curriculum is knowledge-rich, its content and is delivered in modules where the learning is focussed on specific materials and processes. Each project covers specific technical knowledge, pragmatic knowledge and deliberate practice.

The student journey has been split into the two Key Stages, the ‘Technology Foundation’ at KS3 and GCSE Technology at KS4. At Key Stage 3 the curriculum is designed to build students’ pragmatic knowledge and their understanding of the Iterative Design Process. By the end of Year 9 all, Newfield students should have the cultural capital needed to engage with the design world alongside any other student their age. The GCSE course then allows students to be increasingly expressive and creative in their design practice and draws on their cross-curricular and wider life experiences.   

Assessment

Formative Assessment – Formative feedback is given in every Technology lesson from Y7 through to Y11. Strand 1 feedback is predominantly given verbally and via demonstrations. Other examples are:

• Where specific strengths and weaknesses of work are highlighted
• Whole class discussions.
• Marking criteria is used as a means of allowing students to benchmark their own progress.
• Exemplar materials

Summative Assessment - These test opportunities are built into projects with quick quizzes and tests at the end of every project.

In Key Stage 4 all students complete assessments in-line with the school assessment weeks providing support for teacher assessment and predicted grades.