Head of Department: Mr Graeme Lawrie gal@sevenoaksschool.org
The Design Technology Department
Sevenoaks has a long tradition of innovation in Design Technology. The Technical Activities Centre was established in the 1960s. This provided a programme for pupils to develop the skills and knowledge to use their creativity and initiative in developing projects; the school gained a national reputation for high standards. Design Technology - Product Design, Resistant Materials and Systems and Control - and Electronics are now well established in the curriculum. In addition, the department runs a wide range of clubs that are popular for all year groups. The facilities include: wood, plastics and metal workshops; an electronics laboratory; design studios with CAD/CAM facilities and three dedicated computer-aided Design teaching studios with a CNC manufacturing capability which includes laser cutting, CNC routing and 3D prototyping.
In recent years, the department has produced work for a number of exhibitions in the School and now has a regular end of year show on Founders Day which showcases the best work produced in the department over the year.
Years 7 & 8
In Years 7 and 8 pupils follow a course designed to introduce the following areas of Design Technology: Health and Safety, Workshop Skills, Structures, Packaging, Electronics, Mechanisms and Graphical Communication. The course allows pupils to work on individual and group projects.
Year 9
Year 9 pupils follow a combined Design Technology and Systems and Control course where the emphasis is on acquiring the skills needed to realise a product which normally incorporates Design. Pupils work on a given theme to develop a design solution and prototype product and an element of functional electronics.
Years 10 & 11
In Years 10 and 11 pupils study IGCSE Design Technology - Resistant Materials or Systems and Control.
The Sixth Form
International Baccalaureate Design Technology can be studied at Standard and Higher Level. At both levels, practical design work is worth 36% of the final marks. At the end of the course students will sit three examination papers, each with its own format. Design Technology is concerned with people's needs. The politics of society and the cultural, aesthetic and artistic considerations of a changing society are studied within a range of topics. The course is strongly connected with social issues, making informed choices and differentiating between information and misinformation in technology. Students will study the development of technology but the course is not solely about sophisticated industrialised production but also includes the appropriateness of technologies for developing societies and designing for medical applications.
Click here to see examination results