This resource provides a quick and easy map of your child’s curriculum journey.

How often do we hear – why am I doing this? What’s the point in learning this? I don’t want to be a designer or an engineer, so why am I studying Technology and Design? 

Technology is a subject that transforms; students can discover design solutions that will improve someone’s life, open up a new world to people who feel lost or challenge everyone’s thinking and develop something the world has never seen before.  At Co-op Academy Walkden, we want to start a small revolution in our Technology classrooms by asking everyone – what is the point of Technology & Design? 

Nobel Prize winner, Herbet Simon describes, ‘designing isn’t just for professionals’, it is a fundamental human activity. Planning your day, decorating a room, applying your make-up, choosing an outfit…. These are all ‘everyday’ modern examples of activities that involve design skills.

Design is ultimately about making things better.  Seeing a problem and fixing it, wanting something better and getting it, challenging a system or idea to achieve a better outcome.  For many people, the word ‘Design’ conjures up thoughts of creativity, products, architecture, graphics, or simply the way something looks or functions.  Although these are all valid responses and can be classed as traditional forms of design, we want to explore beyond this, push boundaries, encompass broader techniques and evolve our skill level and methods by giving our students the totality they deserve for the journey of experiences and skills they are able to access. 

Key Stage Three

Our aim is to deliver a Key Stage 3 curriculum that encompasses an extensive range of design and technological skills and a sound understanding of how to apply them in the real world.  

Year 7 students will be given opportunities to learn new skills and harness this technical information by focusing on key areas of the National Curriculum, comprising of 8 units of stud:.  

• Health & Safety Legislation
• Industry
• Materials
• Joining Methods
• Finishing Methods
• Design Methods
• Evolution of Design
• Systems & Control

Year 8 students will be given opportunities to apply the skills and technical information learnt in Year 7 in an ‘Assignment Brief’ based learning opportunity.  As much as possible, students will be asked to develop and apply their skills in real life contexts.  It is essential that students understand how the information they have learnt can be used, not only in employment contexts but in real day-to-day life activities.  

Year 9 students will take it one step further, getting the opportunity to apply and expand their knowledge and skills in three focused sessions.  Each session will connect with the specialist courses on offer at Key Stage 4; Construction, Engineering and Product design.  This will also allow students to make focused and informed choices on their next steps and how it could apply to their future.  

Our Key Stage 3 curriculum intends to inspire students within the subject but also to create a confidence in children in applying real-life activities. Our curriculum is ambitious in going beyond qualifications and focussing on developing the personal characteristics that define our students. Our teachers want to create a student-centred environment which inspires well-rounded students that are ready for the next stage of their life, whether that be employment, college, an apprenticeship or someone who is confident in DIY.  A balanced and challenging curriculum will ensure students are satisfied with their achievements and ambitions.  We want our students to feel competent, confident and develop a sense of passion and purpose.

Key Stage Four

One of the reasons why students choose to study a subject and excel in it can depend on how useful they think the subject will be to them.  The value of a subject can be displayed in three components: the importance of doing well in the subject, the inherent enjoyment from engaging in the subject and its utility value – how important it is for a future goal, for example a specific job or to be able to live independently ‘away from home’.

At Key Stage 4 we want to provide students with a course that meets these needs.  Skills, knowledge and understanding acquired in Key Stage 3 lay the foundations that are built upon in the specialist courses that we offer.  We provide students with opportunities to apply knowledge from other curriculum areas, creating links with numeracy in working out mathematical solutions, literacy and oracy in preparing and presenting reports, scientific principles relating to materials properties and sustainability when appraising the life cycle of materials and products.  

Utilising modern technologies and developing design ideas requires independent learning skills and enables students to further their learning outside the classroom.  We will consolidate students’ learning by utilising industry expertise through off site visits and visiting speakers to provide real life context.  Our highly experienced team of teachers can provide preparation for further education and career opportunities.  At Co-op Academy Walkden we understand how the subject needs to respond to what is going on around us. This will ensure the subject has value, relevance and inspires students within the school.  With talent and investment pouring into the technology and manufacturing sectors we want the students we teach to be a major contributor to that growth.  

Whilst we understand future plans and potential employment opportunities are important, we also want the students we teach to love and enjoy the subjects.  We want to help students’ thinking so they can understand what modern, cutting edge technology means.  Young people are socially conscientious and keen to make a difference, and they are brilliantly creative and adaptable.  Students should be educated on how to take risks and become more resourceful, innovative and enterprising. 

Eduqas Level 1/2 Award in Constructing the Built Environment

The Award in Constructing the Built Environment is designed to support learners to develop an awareness of construction processes.  It mainly supports learners who want to learn about the construction industry from the build perspective.  It provides learners with a broad introduction to the different technical and trades roles involved in the sector, the importance of safety and security, and the processes involved in the various stages of a built environment project.  It is mainly suitable as a foundation for further study and on completion, learners may wish to start an apprenticeship or continue in full time education. We have secured a partnership with Seddon Construction who will provide our students with relevant industry knowledge and experience both in our classrooms and on their site. 

Eduqas Level 1/2 Award in Engineering

The Award in Engineering is for those who wish to develop knowledge and understanding and gain experience of a practical application of skills in Engineering. It is designed to mainly support learners in schools who want to learn about engineering from the design and planning perspective. It provides learners with a broad introduction to the engineering sector and the types of career opportunities available.  The main purpose of the qualification is to support access to further education and training such as level 3 qualifications or apprenticeships.  The most relevant pathway will depend upon the outcome achieved within this qualification and others taken alongside.

AQA GCSE Design and Technology: Product design

GCSE Design and Technology will prepare students to participate confidently and successfully in an increasingly technological world. Students will gain awareness and learn from wider influences on Design and Technology including historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic factors. Students will get the opportunity to work creatively when designing and making and apply technical and practical expertise. This qualification allows students to study core technical and designing and making principles, including a broad range of design processes, materials techniques and equipment. They will also have the opportunity to study the specialist technical principle of product design in greater depth.

From studying Design and Technology GCSE, you can go on to study design A-Level or a BTEC Level 3 which specialises in an area of design technology. This can lead to studying all sorts of subjects at University or onto exciting art based apprenticeships. For example:

• Ceramics designer;
• Design Engineer;
• Exhibition designer;
• Fashion designer;
• Furniture conservator/restorer;
• Furniture designer;
• Glass blower/designer;

Check out the range of apprenticeships here for which you need good design skills or take a look at some more information about design based degrees here.

Studying design technology can lead you to study a wide variety of subjects at University. Such as:

• Animation;
• Graphic Design;
• Architect;
• Civil Engineering.

Have a look at the UCAS website to see how many different combinations you can do.

The Curriculum Overview provides information as to how the curriculum is sequenced to enable students to build their knowledge and skills towards ambitious endpoints in each subject area. Click the picture to enlarge it and read more. Each terms’ learning is complemented by a knowledge organiser. 

Design and Technology

Construction

Engineering

Check them out 

This resource provides a quick and easy map of your child’s curriculum journey in English. 

Food studies is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Along with the National Curriculum we aim to ensure that all students: understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook using a wide range of skills and techniques. We believe Food Studies is an essential narrative within the curriculum to develop our students with key life skills even if they do not pursue it as an option or career. 

Our students have the opportunity to experience a wide variety of recipes, throughout all year groups, learning together through practical lessons to embed a deep understanding of food preparation, technical cooking skills, and working safely and hygienically in the kitchen. 

From the beginning at Walkden, students are given the autonomy to develop and adapt recipes in order to change their palatability, appeal, sensory qualities and nutritional value. 

Across food lessons, numeracy is strongly evident through timings, weighing, measuring, ratios of ingredients and scaling recipes in addition to nutritional labels and percentages of recommended nutrient intakes and costing. 

Literacy links in the form of understanding written instructions, reading of articles to identify how the subject fits into the real world and a wide range of subject specific technical terms are included across all years.  

Throughout the duration of KS3, students are introduced to the concept of food science and an industrial aspect provides students with the totality of skills to transition into Key Stage 4, where we offer GCSE Food Preparation & Nutrition and Level 2 Hospitality and Catering.

Year 7 focuses on basic food preparation skills and learning how to carry out tasks safely, to build confidence in the kitchen. Students will learn about the basic legislation when working in a kitchen, understanding the importance of risk assessments, and the role of the environmental health officer. They will then develop knowledge and understanding of the nutrients, dietary requirements and cooking methods and how these impacts on nutritional values of dishes. Lessons are a mixture of practical and theory work and students learn to prepare a range of mainly savoury dishes, which will develop basic cooking skills using a range of equipment and techniques. 

In Year 8, we start to develop the quality and precision of skills, and begin to introduce more technical skills such as a range of homemade sauces and develop understanding of the reactions that occur during the process. Students investigate a range of cuisines and cultures from around the world. They gain a broad understanding of job roles linked to the subject and finish their academic year with an afternoon tea project linked to seasonal foods.

Year 9 focuses on high level technical skills including doughs, pastries, and cake making methods. Students will also investigate preservatives, setting desserts and the science behind a range of ingredients.  Consolidating in the last term all the skills they have been taught to design a menu for a particular dietary group which must incorporate a range of cooking methods and technical skills. 

Extracurricular opportunities are provided after school, with a MasterChef cookery and baking club provided during terms 1 and 3. Students also have the opportunity to participate and experience; Future Chef competitions and local college competitions. We encourage clubs to be mixed year groups and this aids with developing relationships and peers sharing their knowledge and understanding of the subject with one another. We try to provide a range of workshops to students that are led by experts in the industry in order to develop students’ knowledge and skills. 

Some students opt for GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition, and throughout this course, students develop an understanding of the working characteristics, functionality and chemical properties of ingredients.

In Year 10, students explore the wide and varied syllabus for GCSE, learning in detail about the five main food commodity and ingredients groups, food provenance, food science underpinning the practical work, the functions of ingredients in recipes, plus a wide range of practical skills in preparing, cooking and styling food. Students work through the course content in year 10 before commencing an assessment and revision in Year 11 where they will complete both NEA tasks (Non Examination Assessments) and their written exam at the end of the year in the summer exam season. Independent learning opportunities are provided linked with online learning via google classroom , retrieval tasks , knowledge organiser linked tasks and practical work. 

Some students opt for the Level 2 Hospitality & Catering course which builds on skills and knowledge developed at KS3. This course puts learning and development in a real-world context and directly links skills and knowledge developed in our industry. This course also allows students the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of health and safety in the in the hospitality & catering industry, the technical knowledge required to plan, design and implement a variety of menus (including the application of maths and science) and the roles required in hospitality & catering industry (e.g. front of house, sous-chef). When students enter our kitchen, they will enter a learning environment that is designed to simulate the day-to-day workings of the hospitality & catering industry.

Students can go on to study Professional cookery or Patisserie at Salford City College, Eccles Campus, or Trafford College, Timperley Campus or Manchester College, Openshaw Campus. Level 3 Hospitality and Catering, along with specialist courses  can be studied at Worsley College. 

Alternatively, some 6^th Form colleges offer Level 3 Food and Nutrition, alongside science A-Levels, which would enable students to go on to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in a wide range of food and nutrition related careers such as Dietetics, Human Nutrition, Animal Nutrition, Sports Nutrition, Medicine, Food Safety, Environmental Health, Food Technology, Food Product Development. 

This resource provides a quick and easy map of your child’s curriculum journey. 

This resource provides a quick and easy map of your child’s curriculum journey.

Here is the curriculum journey map for Media Studies at Co-op Academy Walkden. It’s a quick and easy way of you being able to track your child’s journey in each subject from Year 7 – 11.