This year, the GCSE Design and Technology course has undergone a restructure, meaning that pupils who would otherwise have completed coursework during Year 11 now use that time to prepare for the exams. To spread the workload more evenly, a trial was undertaken this year to complete the coursework in Year 10.
Each boy studying Design and Technology spent Tuesday 9 June in the studios, participating in a ‘Manufacturing Day’ in order to get the bulk of their product completed. The day was scheduled to replicate a ‘work’ day; arriving in workshop appropriate attire, the boys came armed with a plan of manufacture, ready and raring to get started on their projects.
Having a long, uninterrupted session for manufacture allowed the pupils to make incredibly good progress: taking wood and plastic and creating fantastic near-finished pieces was the purpose of the day, and the boys worked quickly and efficiently to ensure that this was the case. The students were using a wide variety of materials and techniques. Some students chose to incorporate electronics. Designs are down to the individual in negotiation with their teacher, and popular products are pieces of furniture and bespoke storage times. A large emphasis is placed on sustainability of resources, and ergonomic design.
The remainder of the lessons throughout Year 11 will now be spent preparing students for the examinations in June 2016, which account of 40% of the final grade. These will be interspersed with short practical tasks in the workshops, to learn – hands on – about a variety of manufacturing techniques.
