Design and Technology

At St Simon Stock Catholic School, the Design & Technology curriculum is rooted in creativity, innovation and critical thinking. It is designed to develop students as problem-solvers who work with curiosity, compassion and resilience. Inspired by our Catholic ethos and the Carmelite charism, we empower students to Work with Love, using design as a force for good in society, industry and the wider world.

Curriculum Philosophy and Aims

In Design & Technology, we aim to:

Deliver a dynamic, skills-based curriculum that equips students with the knowledge and confidence to design, prototype and evaluate purposeful and sustainable products.
Foster a culture of investigation, curiosity and iteration, developing students' ability to think and communicate like designers, engineers and critical consumers.
Introduce students to a wide range of materials, technologies, processes and digital tools in preparation for creative and technical careers.
Challenge students to consider the environmental, social, moral and ethical impact of design decisions.
Embed literacy, numeracy, STEM links and cultural capital through design theory, technical drawing, user empathy and real-world contexts.

We are committed to ensuring that all students — including the most able, disadvantaged or those with additional needs — are supported to flourish in a safe, encouraging, and hands-on learning environment.

Catholic Values and Wider Curriculum Contribution

Design & Technology nurtures the whole child — spiritually, socially and academically. Students are guided to reflect on the moral responsibility of designers, learning to apply Catholic Social Teaching to sustainability, accessibility, equity, and ethical manufacture.

Our students are encouraged to be:

Hopeful in their ability to design for a better future.
Charitable in their consideration of user needs and inclusive design.
Appreciative of the global and cultural influences that shape the world of design.

Projects and discussions often focus on empathy-driven design — for example, creating solutions for people with disabilities, responding to environmental challenges, or examining fair trade and ethical sourcing of materials.

Attainment

Our students are taught to master practical and theoretical content across the AQA GCSE Design & Technology and AQA A-Level Product Design specifications. They gain competence in materials, manufacturing processes, sustainability, CAD/CAM, and iterative design methods — building technical fluency and critical judgment.

Appreciation

The curriculum fosters respect for the history of design, technological advances and influential designers. Students explore a range of design movements and cultural traditions, appreciating how values, needs and context shape the evolution of products and systems.

Reflection

Students are encouraged to evaluate and improve their own design work continuously, as well as provide thoughtful, constructive feedback to others. Through reflection, they recognise the power of design to influence behaviour, solve problems and change lives.

Curriculum Design & Delivery

Our curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and carefully sequenced. It introduces core technical principles and design strategies in Key Stage 3, then builds toward mastery through GCSE and A-Level pathways.

At GCSE, students explore materials (timbers, metals, polymers, fabrics, paper/board), core technical and design principles, user-centred design and sustainability. They apply their knowledge in a substantial Non-Exam Assessment (NEA).
At A-Level, Product Design deepens theoretical knowledge and expands independent design skills. Students undertake in-depth projects, drawing on their own interests and career ambitions — with a focus on real clients, iterative prototyping and advanced material and manufacturing knowledge.

Learning is enhanced through:

Regular retrieval and interleaving to support long-term knowledge retention.
Career links to engineering, architecture, interior and product design, construction, user experience and more.

Students leave the Design & Technology curriculum equipped with the skills, values and confidence to succeed in further study, employment or as ethical, informed global citizens — able to go and do likewise through the transformative power of design.