Design & Technology

Design and Technology allows our pupils to be creative, imaginative, and inspired. Here at Bristol Metropolitan Academy, we aim to deliver Design and Technology to our students in a way that develops their interests and facilitates their progression across the key stages and into higher education. We aim to challenge pupils’ creativity and problem-solving skills through a wide variety of projects that encourage independent and practical thinking and that use a range of different materials.

At Key Stage 3:

The projects run across years 7, 8 and 9, and encourages students to explore and develop skills across a range of Design and Technology specialisms; food technology, product design and textiles technology. A breakdown of the projects can be found below:

Product Design

During our Product Design lessons, students are given the opportunity to work with a range of materials to design, develop and create a final product. Each project encourages students to collect and use various sources of information to create designs, develop ideas and produce a final product through working with a variety of materials. Each year focuses on a different material to prepare them with the knowledge needed at Key Stage 4.

Food Technology

During our Food Technology lessons at Key Stage 3, students are given the opportunity to prepare and cook a range of both sweet and savoury foods using a range of equipment, processes, and ingredients (all provided by the school). The projects encourage students to question where their food comes from, the science behind cooking and how to maintain a balanced healthy diet through different stages of life. Students are encouraged to experiment with different flavours and textures and evaluate their success in the kitchen and identify how to progress further in their practice.

Textiles Technology:

Within Textiles Technology at Key Stage 3, students are given the chance to engage in projects that ask them to develop their skills as designers using research, existing products, and peer feedback to create products that are both creative, innovative and individual to each student. They will use a range of different tools, equipment and processes, such as tie dye, applique, stencilling and the use of CAD software to create a repeating pattern.

At Key Stage 4:

At Key Stage 4, students are given the opportunity to build on skills already developed throughout Key Stage 3 and are able to focus their interest of Design and Technology to specific areas within the subject as a GCSE course. All the GCSE courses currently on offer at Bristol Metropolitan Academy are designed to encourage imaginative thought and promote an open and enquiring mind that can be transferred to everyday situations.

The courses currently offered are:

Eduqas GCSE Design & Technology 

This course involves a focus on developing practical skills within a particular material area, allowing students to manufacture high quality outcomes. Students learn about commercial processes and careers in related industries, as well as developing core transferrable skills, such as collaboration and communication. This GCSE places greater emphasis on understanding and applying iterative design processes. Students will use their creativity and imagination to design and make prototypes that solve real and relevant problems, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values.

Eduqas GCSE Food Preparation & Nutrition

This course is based upon teaching key life skills through ensuring students develop a thorough understanding of nutrition, healthy eating, food provenance and the working characteristics of food materials. At its heart, the subject focuses on nurturing students’ practical cookery skills to give them a strong understanding of nutrition. Students will explore healthy eating, balanced diets, food science, food choice and sustainable food production. The study of making will also include the characteristics of a broad range of ingredients, including their nutritional, functional and sensory properties.

The History Department at BMA provide an engaging and challenging History curriculum to enable our students to develop their knowledge of our world so that they can contribute positively to society being empowered with historical skills. They will learn about other time periods, places, cultures and beliefs, as well as their own, developing a sense of personal meaning and place in the world.