The Food curriculum goes beyond just cooking delicious meals. It fosters a well-rounded understanding of food science, safety, and the vibrant hospitality and catering industry.

INTENT

• Building Confidence in the Kitchen: Equip students with essential culinary skills, fostering a love of cooking and a respect for healthy eating habits.
• Ensuring Food Safety: Promote a strong understanding of food safety practices to prevent foodborne illnesses and ensure responsible food handling.
• Understanding Food Science: Introduce students to the science behind food, including macronutrients, micronutrients, and the impact of different cooking methods.
• Exploring the Industry: Spark an interest in the diverse world of hospitality and catering, including various establishments and job roles.

IMPLEMENTATION

• Key Stage 3: A hands-on approach is key. Students learn through engaging in practical activities like following recipes, practicing knife skills, and preparing meals. They explore food safety through hygiene routines, risk assessments, and understanding food labelling. Additionally, the curriculum required student to engage in discussions about healthy eating habits and empowers them to make responsible choices based on the Eatwell Guide and the specific nutritional needs of teenagers.
• Key Stage 4: The WJEC Level 2 Hospitality and Catering course builds upon the foundation laid in Key Stage 3. Unit 1 consists of a written exam to solidify knowledge of the industry, while Unit 2 is practical based. Students receive a brief to create a plan considering customer needs, nutrition, and cooking methods. They then put this plan into action, preparing and cooking food, conducting sensory analysis, and evaluating their performance.

IMPACT

• Confident Cooks: Students are encouraged to develop essential kitchen skills, allowing them to prepare healthy and delicious meals for themselves and others.
• Food Safety Champions: Students gain a strong understanding of food safety practices, minimising the risk of foodborne illnesses in their homes and future workplaces.
• Informed Consumers: Students engage in learning about the science of food and healthy eating habits, empowering them to make informed food choices.
• Industry-Ready Individuals: For those interested in a career in hospitality and catering, the curriculum provides a solid foundation and prepares them for further studies or employment opportunities.

By blending theoretical knowledge with practical skills, the Food curriculum empowers students to become confident cooks, food safety advocates, and informed consumers. For those with an interest in the industry, it provides a springboard to explore the exciting world of hospitality and catering.

The Resistant Materials curriculum cultivates a passion for design and engineering in students, equipping them with the knowledge and practical skills to thrive in a technological world.

INTENT

• Nurturing Creativity: The curriculum fosters creativity and design thinking, encouraging students to express themselves through innovative design solutions.
• Building Technical Expertise: Students develop a strong foundation in technical skills and knowledge of materials, allowing them to bring their design ideas to life. Students are given the responsibility of designing and bringing their design ideas to life.
• Promoting Problem-Solving: The program emphasises problem-solving through a design-based approach, teaching students to analyse tasks and develop practical solutions. This enhances students’ resilience, preparing them for future challenges both within and beyond the subject.
• Preparing for Further Studies: The curriculum equips students with the necessary skills and confidence to pursue careers in design, engineering, or related fields.

IMPLEMENTATION

Key Stage 3 (Ages 11-14): Building a Strong Foundation

• Year 7: Introduction to the Workshop: Students transition to the workshop environment, learning safe working practices, basic tool usage, and following production plans. They are introduced to risk assessment procedures and proper equipment handling.
• Year 8: Deepening Understanding: Students are encouraged to engage fully in risk assessments and delve deeper into various topics like mechanisms, wood joints, and mechanical design principles. They explore linkages and how to consider user needs in the design process.
• Year 9: Broadening Knowledge and Preparing for GCSE: The curriculum broadens its scope to cover material sourcing, carbon footprint, and branding. Students learn about design professionals and are empowered to apply their workshop skills to design and build their own products. This year prepares them for the transition to GCSE Design and Technology.

Key Stage 4 (Ages 14-16): Specialisation and Project-Based Learning

Both qualifications emphasise project-based learning. This encourages students to apply their knowledge and skills to design and create their own projects.

• Qualification Options: Students can choose between two pathways:
  • AQA GCSE Design and Technology: This course offers a comprehensive understanding of design and technology, including historical influences, design processes, materials techniques, and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) using tools like 3D printers and laser cutters. The assessment for the engineering course takes place at the end of year 11, involving a 50:50% split of exam and project work.
• • OCR Level 1/Level 2 Cambridge National in Engineering Design: This program focuses on engineering design principles and their application in the real world. Students learn about designing new products, communicating their ideas through sketches and drawings, and using 2D/3D software. The AQA GCSE design and technology includes a 2-hour exam. This is a three-part exam covering 1. Core technical principles, 2. Specialist technical principles, 3. Designing and making principles. The second part is a non-exam assessment (NEA) totalling 30–35 hours of project work.

IMPACT

Students who complete the Resistant Materials curriculum gain valuable skills and knowledge that extends beyond the classroom:

• Design Thinking: They develop critical thinking and design thinking skills, enabling them to approach challenges creatively and solve problems effectively.
• Technical Expertise: Students acquire a strong technical skillset in areas like material manipulation, tool usage, and potentially 2D/3D design software.
• Problem-Solving: The curriculum fosters a problem-solving mindset, equipping students with the ability to analyse situations and develop practical solutions.
• Confidence and Independence: Students gain confidence in their abilities to design, build, and evaluate their work, fostering independence and self-reliance.
• Career Preparation: This program provides a solid foundation for pursuing further education or careers in design, engineering, and related fields. As technology advances, the range of careers in design and technology will also expand. Potential careers can range from interior designer to electrical engineer to robotics engineer.

Overall, the Resistant Materials curriculum empowers students to become creative, independent thinkers with the technical skills needed to excel in the world of design and engineering.

Possible careers options would be Aerospace Engineer, Chemical Engineer, Ergonomist, Fire Safety Manager, Furniture Designer, Interior Designer, Robotics Engineer. 

The Textiles curriculum is a captivating journey for students at Key Stages 3 and 4. It fosters a love for textiles, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to translate their creative vision into unique textile products.

INTENT

• Spark Creativity: Ignite a passion for textiles and design, creating responsible students who are able to express themselves through innovative and visually appealing projects.
• Develop Technical Skills: Equip students with a comprehensive skillset in textile manipulation, sewing techniques, and textile decoration methods. This includes traditional methods like embroidery and batik, as well as modern approaches utilising CAD/CAM technology.
• Nurture Design Thinking: Foster critical thinking, resilience and design problem-solving skills, allowing students to translate ideas into well-constructed textile products.
• Expand Textile Knowledge: Encourage a respect for textile knowledge, exploring different materials, their properties, and production processes.

IMPLEMENTATION

Key Stage 3 (Ages 11-14): Building a Foundation

• Year 7: Students delve into practical projects like the batik wall hanging, where they explore observational drawing, wax resist techniques, and stencil design using CAD software and laser cutting. They are introduced to the sewing machine, learning basic operations and applying them to complete their project. This hands-on approach builds foundational skills while nurturing design thinking through fashion drawing.
• Year 8: Students personalise a storage cushion, experimenting with fabric manipulation techniques like tie-dye and digital printing inspired by Cath Kidston. They utilise CAD software for design and sublimation printing to create unique fabrics. Sewing skills are further developed by constructing the cushion cover. The year culminates with exploring fashion design through architecture, translating 2D designs into 3D paper models.
• Year 9: Students focus on t-shirt design. They explore various decorative techniques like shibori dyeing, stencilling, and vinyl cutting, allowing them to discover their preferred methods. This experimentation empowers them to create a unique t-shirt design that showcases their acquired skills.

Key Stage 4 (Ages 14-16): Deepening Skills and Design Expertise (GCSE Course)

The GCSE course provides a platform for in-depth exploration. Students:

• Experiment with Fabrics: They engage diverse textile materials and delve into fabric manipulation techniques.
• Develop Technical Expertise: The curriculum empowers them with a wide range of technical skills, including advanced sewing machine techniques like free machine embroidery. Traditional and modern textile decoration methods like embroidery, batik, screen printing, appliqué, and dyeing are also explored. Additionally, students are introduced to modern technologies like CAD/CAM software and utilise tools like sublimation printers and laser cutters.
• Refine Design Thinking: In-depth sketchbook work encourages design exploration, experimentation with different techniques, and research on inspiring designers and textile artists. The coursework component allows students to design and create their own unique fashion or textile pieces, applying their design thinking and technical skills.

How is it Examined?

The GCSE Textiles course is assessed through two components:

• Component 1: Coursework (60%)
• Component 2: Examination (40%)

Component 1 of the GCSE course is dedicated to developing and refining a range of skills that will be crucial for students' success in textiles and design. This coursework unit allows students to:

Component 2 focuses on a chosen theme from a selection provided by the exam board. Students develop a detailed sketchbook that explores artists and techniques relevant to their chosen theme. This sketchbook serves as preparation for a 10-hour exam where they create a final textiles piece based on their chosen theme.

IMPACT

• Confident Creators: Students develop the confidence to express themselves creatively through textiles, designing and producing unique pieces.
• Skilled Makers: They gain a strong foundation in various textile manipulation and sewing techniques, allowing them to bring their design ideas to life.
• Informed Designers: Students develop a critical understanding of design principles and textile materials, enabling them to make informed choices during the design process.
• Future-Ready: Those interested in pursuing a career in fashion or textiles are equipped with a strong skillset and design thinking approach, preparing them for further education or industry opportunities.

The Textiles curriculum goes beyond just learning to sew. It ignites a passion for textiles, empowers students to become skilled makers and informed designers, and prepares them for a future where creativity and technical expertise are valued.

Possible careers include Fashion Designer, Textile Designer, Illustrator, Retail Buyer, Merchandiser, Stylist, Pattern Maker, Photographer, Costume Designer, Fashion Journalist, e-commerce.