ST PETER’S CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

VISUAL ARTS COLLEGE

PROFILE OF THE D&T DEPARTMENT

Staffing

The faculty consists of 5 full-time teaching staff and a technician:

The structure comprises of a Head of Technology, Assistant Head of Technology and three full time teachers.

Accommodation/Resources

The faculty has eight well recourse rooms including:

T1 - Food and Nutrition – an air conditioned room with six workstations and cooking facilities.

T2 – Textiles/Product Design – the room has textile work benches and storage for 20 sewing machines. The room also contains a mobile laptop storage unit with twenty computers used within the faculty. The room is currently used to deliver the design stages within the Key Stage three Product Design course.

T3 - Engineering workshop – comprising of seven centre lathes a milling machine, thermal forming centre and casting facility. The room is used to deliver Key Stage three Product Design and Resistant Materials/Engineering at GCSE.

T4 – Resistant Materials workshop – the room includes six wood working benches, six computer stations and a laser cutter. The facility is used to deliver Key stage three and four Resistant Materials.

T5 – Electronics workshop – twenty soldering stations, Circuit manufacturing equipment and a laser cutter are used in the Key Stage three and four electronics lessons.

T6 – Graphic Products – a spacious room used in the delivery of Key Stage three and four graphics lessons. Sublimation printing equipment and plotter cutting CAM facilities are also used within the Key Stage three and four graphics lessons.

T7 – shared ICT facility with twenty network computers bookable within the faculty. Specific technology programming includes 2 D Design, Google Sketchup, Crocodile Clips and Real PCB.

T8 – Construction workshop – used to deliver B TEC construction at Key Stage Four.

Each room has the benefit of network access and an interactive white board.

There are two offices and a number of storage areas within the faculty.

Curriculum

In year seven the pupils cover five subject areas; Electronics, Food, Graphics, Resistant Materials and Product Design. The lessons are a double period totalling one hour forty minutes and each module lasts approximately seven weeks long.

In year eight and nine the pupils follow the same technology structure but rotate over the two years to allow more depth of study. This allows approximately 12 weeks in each area.

At Key Stage Four Options allow the pupils to study Resistant Materials, Food & Nutrition, Electronic Products, Graphic Products, Engineering, Construction (BTEC) or Child Care. Pupils opt within a pathway system and 58% of year 10 and 59% of year 11 pupils study a Technology subject.