“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like, design is how it works” Steve Jobs
Design and Technology surrounds us in every aspect of our daily lives. Throughout history the innovation of humans has driven our development and made the seemingly impossible possible.
In 1900 there were no motor cars, but by 1969 Neil Armstrong had walked on the moon.
There is the high technology and high design of the latest phone or gadget and the equally useful and valuable low technology, almost unnoticed design like the Bic Biro.
Designers and Technologists will continue to create, refine and innovate to solve the problems of the future and to make lives easier and more exciting for the global population.
At St Peter’s we have designed a curriculum so that students LEARN a broad and stable foundation across resistant materials, product design, food and textiles in Key Stage 3 following the National Curriculum. Each specialism shares common themes of Investigate, Design, Make & Evaluate. Our intent is that students develop the key skills of an iterative design approach with confidence to experiment with materials and techniques that fit the solution.
Our students will ASPIRE to follow a wide range of careers in Design and related industries going on to improve the world through the products and services they work on. We aim to collaborate with local and regional businesses to provide a clear and explicit link between design in school and the world of work.
We support our students to EXCEED their own expectations and develop interesting, creative and inspiring solutions to real world problems. We are proud of our students work and look forward to each new student creating something new.
Design makes a difference to our lives on a daily basis; without realising it we live and breathe creativity, it is all around us – in our homes, transport, the clothes we wear, and the food we eat.
The Design and Technology department is situated in two areas of the school. The Product Design area comprises of one design/research area and two workshops. Hair and Beauty is taught in a custom built salon with industry standard equipment. The Food and Textiles area includes two food rooms, a textiles room and a design/research base.
As a department we believe that Design and Technology is vital because it is concerned with all aspects of how we live and is linked to our intellectual, emotional and physical needs.
It enables students to take action through working creatively and collaboratively, and engages them in high level thinking and decision making. The skills learnt are empowering, diverse and appropriate to their action taking.
“Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future” Robert L. Peters – Designer and author
The aims of our Department are to develop and extend the following: