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Design & Technology

Contact Information

Mr S Peeran on peerans@denbigh.netMrs G Davies-Fairclough on daviesg@denbigh.net
Mrs K Gilmour on gilmourk@denbigh.netMrs A Lanzon-Miller on lanzonmillera@denbigh.net
Mrs G Spittle on spittleg@denbigh.netMr M Stott on stottm@denbigh.net

Faculty Introduction

The Design Technology Faculty is a combination of many disciplines including Product Design,  Resistant Materials (working with woods, metals and plastics), Fashion and Textiles, Food Preparation and Nutrition and Hospitality and Catering.

Our Faculty aims to stimulate the curiosity, promote problem-solving and critical thinking of the next generation of design and technologists.  Technology is constantly evolving and we want to ensure that every student develops skills for designing for a modern society and prepare them to participate in tomorrow’s rapidly changing technologies.

We have very good facilities at Denbigh including: specialist workshops for both Product Design and Resistant Materials, Textiles studios and two Food preparation rooms.  These are equipped with state of the art machinery including: 2 x  3D printers, a large laser cutter,  a plasma cutter, CAD/CAM routers, CNC embroidery machines and a dedicated CNC machinery bay.

Schemes of Learning

Each faculty has developed a Scheme of Learning for each subject and year group. The Schemes of Learning outline the curriculum journey that students will embark on each academic year.

Food

Useful Websites – Food

Faculty Assessment & Feedback Policy

Please find a copy of the Faculty Assessment and Feedback policy below. Teachers in the faculty subject areas will follow this policy when assessing students learning and providing feedback.

Hospitality & Catering

Useful Websites – Hospitality

Resistant Materials

Textiles

Design Technology

Useful Websites

Key Words for Year 7 Food Technology

Key TermDefinition
RecipeA recipe is a list of ingredients and instructions of how to make a specific food dish.
Food milesThis refers to the distance that food has travelled to reach our plates. This can often be through different countries if the food is out of season for the UK, for example, Italian lemons.
SeasonalityEating the food that is growing in the season you’re currently in. Food is in season in the UK if it is growing and ready for harvesting when the conditions are right, for example pumpkins are in season in October.
BacteriaBacteria is the correct term for ‘germs’. Some bacteria in food can make you very unwell if you do not cook food to a safe temperature in order to kill it.
Bridge/ ClawThe bridge and claw refer to two ways to hold food that you are cutting.

Key Words for Year 7 Resistant Materials

Key TermDefinition
CNC routerA computer controlled machine which has a spinning part to carve out channels in wood/ plastic materials. We use this to make maze games in the Y7 Resistant Materials rotation.
CAD/CAMComputer aided design/ Computer aided manufacture. Using machines to design and make products.
Pillar drillA machine on a stand that can be moved up and down to drill holes in your materials.
Tenon sawA saw specifically used for cutting wood. It has tall, flat sides and sharp teeth for cutting straight lines.
Bench hookA wooden block which is hooked onto the surface of the workbench to prevent us from marking the worksurfaces with our saws. We use a bench hook to saw wood and when we push against it, we keep it in place with tension.

Key Words for Year 7 Textiles

Key TermDefinition
Stitch unpickerThis is a sharp tool which we use to unpick stitches. It has a pointed end to help us to get underneath a stitch and it has a sharp curve to cut the stitch when we push down.
NeedleA needle is used to guide thread between fabrics to create stitches. A needle has a hold called an eye which we put the thread through to hold it in place whilst we sew.
PinA pin is different from a needle because it doesn’t have an eye. We use pins to temporarily secure two pieces (or more) of fabric together. It is pointed at one end and it has a flat part at the other end which keeps it in place.
Fabric shearsFabric shears are big scissors which we use to cut through fabrics. Fabric is generally more difficult to cut than paper and requires bigger, stronger or sharper tools.
Seam allowanceWhen we sew two pieces of fabric together, to stop the stitches coming undone, we leave a gap at the edges called seam allowance. The standard seam allowance is 10mm.

Key Words for Year 8 Food Technology

Key TermDefinition
NutrientsThe term used to describe the different vitamins and minerals that we consume within our food to keep our bodies healthy.
Cultural dishOften a recipe that originates from a specific area, country or religion. Examples would be an Indian Curry or Italian Spaghetti Bolognese.
AdaptationsSometimes we need to make changes to our recipes so that more people can eat them if they have allergies or are not allowed to eat a particular meat. These changes are called adaptations.
Food intolerance or allergiesSome people are unable to eat particular food because they can make them unwell. There are food intolerances or allergies. Food intolerances can be less severe than allergies and include things like lactose or gluten intolerance. Allergies are the more severe form which can be things like celiac or peanut allergies.
RouxA roux (pronounced ‘roo’) is a French word for the base of a white sauce in cookery. We would heat up butter and flour to form a paste which we would then make into a sauce by adding milk whilst stirring. We use a roux when making macaroni cheese or the topping for a lasagne.

Key Words for Year 8 Resistant Materials

Key TermDefinition
LEDLight Emitting Diode – This is a small light bulb which we solder in place when making our lamps in Year 8 Resistant Materials.
Orthographic drawingOrthographic drawings are used to look at all sides of a 3d object in a 2d form. With orthographic drawing we often look at the front, top and sides of an object.
PCBPrinted Circuit Board – This is uses a copper strip to divide the steady flow of electricity so that electricity is flowing to all of the devices soldered to it. For example, LED’s and a switch.
AccuracyWorking with accuracy in DT can mean planning and checking that your measurements are correct before you cut your materials and measuring afterwards to ensure that it is still correct.
Manufacturing specificationThis is a document that we plan, write and use before we make a product. It often tells us what materials, how much, which tools to use and in which order to construct the product.

Key Words for Year 8 Textiles

Key TermDefinition
End userAn end user is the person/ people that you intend for your product to be made for. For example, for a bag for life inspired by a festival, you might design for festival goers or people who aspire to go to festivals. You would need to ensure that you have researched what these people like/don’t like, so that you can design a product that is suitable to meet their needs.
Design specificationA design specification is a document that we write before starting design work. It often contains information such as, who the design should be suitable for and what their needs are, how much it should cost, which materials you want to design with etc. We use this like a checklist when we design products to ensure that we are on track.
HemA hem is used on the bags we make in Year 8 to create a strong top edge for the tote bag and protect the edges of the fabrics. To sew a hem you have to fold the fabric over twice accurately, pin the edge down and sew with a sewing machine. You have a hem at the bottom of your skirt or trousers for example.
Smart materialsSmart materials react and change in response to an external stimulus. This can mean a fabric that changes colour when exposed to sunlight or hot/cold temperatures. Smart materials can be useful in indicating the presence of hot temperatures and can warn of a hazard to someone’s safety. An example of use for a temperature responsive smart material is in baby products for milk or bathwater.
BiomimicryBiomimicry is an approach to designing products which focuses on solving problems by using some of the strategies that nature has already come up with. An example of this is the structure of burrs (plants with spiky curs on them) and how they stick themselves to animal fur but can be removed easily too. This inspired the creation of hook and loop tape (brand name ‘Velcro) which is a semi-permanent solution for joining materials together. People often have hook and loop tape on their school shoes to fasten them without laces.