The vision and aim of our Design Faculty is ‘to inspire pupils through rigorous design and make activities that encourage the pupils to use their imagination and creativity. Solving real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values.’
We strive to create the designers, inventors and artists of the future. We ask pupils to reflect on society’s current and future needs and answer the question, how can we make a better future for all through design? We ask pupils to come up with creative and experimental ways of solving problems, using a variety of different materials and processes, and to evaluate and reflect on how their work meets the needs of the modern world. We are engaged in community projects and extracurricular activities which challenge pupils to go further than classroom learning to make an impact on the local community.
The Faculty is split into four departments
Art and Design
We aim to make lessons ‘fun’, and have designed the modules so that pupils experience a broad range of media, developing skills, knowledge and understanding across all areas of Art and Design through topics that will appeal, and maintain interest involving contemporary and historical and cultural references. This knowledge and skills provides a strong grounding for students to progress onto a Key Stage 4 Art course.
Sketchbooks are used throughout KS3 and KS4. They provide pupils with the ability to ‘personalise’ their work further, taking pride in the presentation of each page. In KS3 pupils are provided with a sketchbook which they directly work in and also present their work through mounting. The sketch books then become a work of art. In KS3 pupils use a wide range of techniques to enhance their drawing and making skills.
GCSE pupils choosing the AQA Art and Design course will work in multiple formats from computer aided images to 3D. The sketchbook remains at the heart of what they do, recording their journey from pupil to artist.
Find out about each Key Stage in Art:
KS3 Art
Year 7
‘Making your Mark’ (drawing and painting based on the natural world) and ‘Printmaking‘ (simple printmaking techniques developed from observational drawings). Pupils also research and gather information about current artists. The artist’s work is used as inspiration for multimedia pieces.
Year 8
‘Birds and Beasts’, looking at birds and animals through line, tone and multiple 2D techniques. The pupils work towards creating their own 3D ceramic sculpture. Pupils also research and gather information about current artists. The artist’s work is used as inspiration for a multimedia piece. ‘Insects’, pupils work on their observational study skills and artists’ work to use as inspiration for their final 3D Modroc piece.
Year 9
‘Man-made’, pupils fill their sketchbook with drawings and paintings based on man-made items. The next topic is ‘Portraiture’, pupils are shown how to draw faces in proportion and create a variety of different images with their final piece inspired by the artist Chuck Close. ‘Architecture’, pupils use their observational drawing skills to produce interesting images using a variety of techniques. Research on artists’ work to aid understanding of different inspirational starting points and techniques. This will give pupils the skills and knowledge to tackle the GCSE course in Year 10 and 11.
KS4 Art and Design
GCSE Art and Design GCSE (AQA Specification 8201)
The AQA course awards a GCSE grade with a weighting of 60% coursework, and 40% ‘controlled test’.
Module 1: ‘Nature in Art’, pupils learn multiple drawing and painting techniques based on the natural world, they will produce large 2D pieces and work towards a final 3D ceramic piece.
Module 2: ‘Man Made’ project based around printmaking and mixed media techniques, pupils respond to the work of artists and designers and find new and imaginative ways of working.
Module 3: Mock exam, pupils choose a topic, and decide the media, imagery and outcome of the project this will be presented over a number of weeks with the final piece created in the classroom.
Controlled test: Pupils choose a topic according to exam paper questions
Useful Links:
- New Brewery Arts, Cirencester
- Tate
- AQA Exam Board
Food
At Deer Park we are lucky enough to have two hour Food lessons, so right from the start of Year 7 to the final exam for GCSE Catering, we have the time to do real recipes from scratch, real foods that we love to eat.
Find out about each Key Stage in Food:
KS3 Food
Year 7 Food
In Year 7 we use the theme ‘Materials & Skills’ to teach the pupils basic skills with food. The pupils learn how to use a knife and create decorative patterns or animals out of fruit they have carefully cut. Pupils learn how to use the hob and grill. They are taught how to make macaroni cheese and other pasta and rice dishes. They will look at basic food hygiene and safety and will finish by designing and making their own rice or pasta salad.
Year 8 Food
Year 8 cooking is all about healthy eating and it is based around children’s diets, which fits into the theme, ‘Children’. Pupils learn about how small changes in their diet are painless but over time have a huge impact on their health. It is also about how they can have a healthy diet but still have the foods they love, with a few small changes. We make the following dishes / items based around healthy eating for children: cakes, bread, pizza, chicken nuggets with potato wedges.
Year 9 Food
In Year 9 we look at how sustainability effects the food we buy and the changes that may have to happen. We look at different cultures and the ingredients they use and how the climate affects what and how they cook. We make a wide variety of casseroles, for example curries, stir fries and Bolognese and other dishes. At the end, pupils can try cooking casseroles from other countries like Mexico, Thailand, and England.
KS4 Food
The GCSE Food Preparation & Nutrition course deals in depth with the details of cooking and food science.
Pupils need to be prepared to cook often. They will cook a wide variety of dishes from soups and starters, through to meat and vegetarian dishes and their vegetable accompaniments, to desserts, cakes and hot and cold drinks.
Most practical lessons involve making more than one dish, so we ask that pupils be well organised. In Year 10, the pupils learn how to decorate a chocolate log and visiting chefs demonstrate different techniques and skills.
This is an exciting and challenging course, which focuses on the way food behaves when you cook it and also the body’s need for food. It is also a very good grounding in the skills and knowledge you need to put beautifully cooked food on the table. Pupils also have the opportunity to enter the national Future Chef competition and Rotary Young Chef Competition.
The pupils have two practical assessments, both in Year 11. The first one is an investigation where they have to look at how different ingredients or different processes effect the outcome of a recipe. The second assessment is a practical exam where they have to put three dishes on the table in exam conditions. Presentation is very important. These two practical elements are worth 50% of the final grade. The final 50% is by written paper at the end of the course.
We follow the following specification: Exam EDUQAS WJEC Food Preparation and Nutrition.
Useful Links
Design Technology
In Years 7, 8, and 9 pupils are given the opportunity to use the Iterative Design Process to produce imaginative and creative solutions in metals, wood, electronics, and new technologies such as CAD, coding and laser cutting. Folder work is produced on A3, and pupils make their products from wood and plastics, whilst learning to use both hand and machine tools in a safe and effective manner. Skills and techniques are further built upon in Years 10 and 11 through the GCSE in Design Technology.
Find out about each Key Stage in Resistant Materials:
KS3 Product Design / Resistant Materials
Year 7 Product Design / Resistant Materials:
In Year 7 we base our projects around the theme ‘Materials & Skills’. Pupils are taught skills and knowledge through a variety of design and make tasks. They produce a CAD design and CAM assembled Land Yacht. They learn about ergonomics and apply this knowledge to producing an ergonomic handle on a product that they use every day. Pupils also undertake a control and coding module based around the BBC micro:bit. These projects give the pupils a firm foundation for progression to Year 8.
Year 8 Product Design / Resistant Materials:
Building on the skills and techniques learned in Year 7, the theme for this year is ‘Children’ – they are the target market for the projects the pupils undertake. Pupils are introduced to the methods used to produce products in quantity in industry. Pupils undertake an electronic module. They produce an LED light circuit and, using CAD/CAM, pupils create an imaginative box for their electronic LED light. Pupils learn about mechanisms and create a paper-engineered mechanical card product. Pupils undertake a module entitled ‘Nature Challenge’ where they work in teams of 3-4 to create a bird feeding station or an insect house. The pupils are challenged by working within certain constraints, for example, the amount of wood they are given but this project is also good for learning to work well in a team.
Year 9 Product Design / Resistant Materials:
The theme for Year 9 is ‘Sustainability’. Pupils undertake a group project in renewable energy. The pupils work in groups of 3–4 to design and create their own large Wind Turbines, looking at aspects of eco-efficiency and structure. Pupils are taught how to model and create a variety of products from recycled materials to suit a given brief. Pupils learn about design in the built environment, with particular focus being on sustainability. The pupils create a leaflet targeted at the public, informing them how their homes can be more sustainable. Working in teams of 2, they research a variety of different architects and present their research to the rest of their group. They are given a choice of three briefs, and they develop their ideas in Revit and SketchUp.
GCSE Design Technology
Pupils will be enthused and challenged by the range of practical activities possible as the specification for GCSE Product Design seeks to build upon the multimedia approach of graphic design and the 3D making of Resistant Materials.
Pupils will design and make products using a wide range of materials, whilst paper/card continues to be the compulsory material for study in this multi-material specification. You must study at least one other material and are encouraged to develop an awareness of other material areas.
In Year 10 pupils follow a modular rotation pattern which involves:
- Use of CAD/CAM to develop modelling techniques and produce a graphics based project;
- Creatively using wood to create a product out of: Looking at design and making skills;
- Learning new skills about how to join and manipulate a combination of materials, developing the skills to create an interesting final product;
- Designing products that suit a specific target market: Looking at their sustainable impact and how to develop and improve them.
Having completed these modules the pupils will then have the opportunity to select an exam theme and work in the material area of their choice. This provides challenge and enables the pupils to work independently, using the skills that they have gained through Year 10 and Key Stage 3.
The two year full GCSE Design Technology course requires pupils to undertake the Year 10 course and then to complete a coursework project (worth 50% of the final grade) and a theory examination (worth 50% of the final grade) in Year 11. Pupils will select from a range of broad set Themes and design and make a product to fulfil a target market needs.
In Year 10 the modules will be assessed following the coursework guidelines and there will be end of module tests. In June the pupils will undertake the coursework task that they have chosen.
Useful links
Textiles
Find out about each Key Stage in Textiles:
KS3 Textiles
Year 7 Textiles
In Year 7 pupils use the theme ‘Materials and Skills’ to design and manufacture a creative Textiles book cover. Pupils will look at the effect of the textiles industry on the world. Pupils will create a rainforest-inspired image and create their cover from start to finish.
Year 8 Textiles
In Year 8, pupils use the theme ‘Children’ to design and manufacture a sublimated printed pencil case. They create a design on paper then on the computer to print off their sublimation pattern, which is then transferred onto fabric. The use of the sewing machine is a feature of this project, as the pupils learn how to create a box-style pencil case with a zip.
Year 9 Textiles
In Year 9, pupils look at sustainability in the textiles industry. The pupils research existing artists’ work and produce three initial ideas in colour before choosing one to develop as a final design. The project involves screen printing an image they have templated onto a decorative background. The final piece is mounted on a frame and displays many layering techniques.
KS4 Textiles
GCSE Art and Design – Textile Design (AQA Specification 8204)
This GCSE course introduces pupils to a variety of creative and stimulating experiences with an emphasis on a personal, individual approach and first hand observation of the work of artists and designers.
This two unit specification enables pupils to develop their ability to actively engage in the processes of Art and Design Textiles, to build creative skills through learning and doing, to develop imaginative and intuitive ways of working and develop knowledge and understanding of media, materials and technologies in historical and contemporary contexts, societies and cultures.
Assessment is by Unit 1: Portfolio of Work (Controlled Assessment) 60 % and Unit 2: Externally Set Task 40%.
It is a strong foundation for further progression to Art and Design Textiles related courses such as A Level Art and Design and enhanced vocational and career pathways.