There are four different areas within Design and Technology:
- Resistant Materials – using metals, wood and plastics to design and make different products;
- Graphics – presenting ideas as drawings and models;
- Textile Technology – designing, making and decorating fabrics, and conducting scientific experiments on different materials;
- Food Technology – the study of how food is manufactured and distributed, and designing and making food products.
In Years 7, 8 and 9, students follow a nine-week rotation covering each of these areas. In Year 7, they learn the basic skills, industrial practices and environmental issues associated with each topic, and produce one item for each unit. Years 8 and 9 follow a similar pattern, with students building on their skills and gaining a more in-depth knowledge of each area.
Students also learn about the practical applications of each medium, and start to look at the various design movements like Art Deco and Memphis. Food Technology, for example, includes designing balanced diets, food labelling, healthy eating, food in different cultures and religions, food choices like vegetarianism, and much more, as well as introducing some cooking skills. Graphics includes a study of animation in Year 7, when students use computer technology and plasticine characters to produce cartoon films in much the same way as Wallace & Gromit films are made.
Visits and visiting speakers
Tutors from Bolton University have visited Sale High School to help students learn how to use design programme Pro Desk Top 4. A visiting textile artist has worked with students on specific projects, and students taking Food Technology have gone to local primary and nursery schools to study food.
Clubs and out-of-school activities
The Technology Department is working with the Maths and science departments to develop opportunities for Year 6 pupils in our partner primary schools. There are after school clubs for Food Technology, Textiles, Graphics and Resistant Materials and GCSE support clubs for Graphics and Resistant Materials, along with catch-up and revision sessions.
Head of Department: Miss Amanda Kinsley
