During Key Stage 3, students will be given the opportunity to work through a variety of different projects which will help develop a wide variety of different skills, ranging from practical skills making a final outcome, to computer skills in putting together a portfolio and creating virtual 3D models. Every student is encouraged to finish their work to the best of their ability as everything that the student manufactures here at school should be taken home.
Year 7
Project: Tile puzzle
Year 7 begins with students learning about three of the most widely used materials; plastics, woods and metals. Students will learn the properties of these materials through theory work, then have the opportunity to understand the working properties by creating the tile puzzle in the workshop. The project is designed to teach students how to cut, shape and finish a variety of different materials to a high standard. As well as the physical model they make, students will learn how to made a 3D model of their designs using CAD. Students will be assessed on the quality of their practical work, as well as the theory knowledge they have learnt.
Project: 3D drawing and 3D printed Maze Puzzle
Students will focus on 3D presentation of of design work with this project. Students will develop some technical drawing skills so that ideas can be neatly presented and communicated by pencil and paper. They will also work though a variety of help sheets to product a range of different 3D models using Autodesk Inventor / Fusion 360. These models will help the students learn the functionality of the software so they are able to design independently and without the need for written instruction. This will result in the students designing a 3D model of a small co-ordination toy which will be 3D printed using the departments FDM 3D printers.
Project: Acrylic phone holder
During the acrylic phone holder project, students will be able to recall knowledge and experience in working with plastics from their tile puzzle project and put the knowledge they gained of CAD and CAM to good use to design a simple, yet functional phone holder. The phone holder will be laser cut and through polymer deformation, students will create their chosen design and test its functionality to hold a phone.
Year 8
Students have three lessons over two weeks and will complete three different projects over the course of the year. Each project is different from the last, giving the students a wide range of experience using different techniques, materials and theory.
Year 8 is a carousel year. Classes will rotate through three different teachers to complete their three different projects.
Project: Cultural Speaker
Students will be introduced to electronics and will assemble and solder a speaker circuit together. They will learn what the various electronic components do within the circuit, and develop soldering skills in order to create a working PCB. Students will have the opportunity to develop their understanding of either their own culture, or a culture different than their own to design and decorate the housing for their speakers. Students will also be encouraged to develop their understanding of sustainability by designing and creating their own casing from paper and card and a quick, easy but functional material to house these speakers.
Project: Structures and computer control
During this project, students will study forces and stresses within the context of bridge building. Students will have the opportunity to design different bridges and virtually test and simulate them using the CAD software, Westpoint Bridge design, furthering their understanding of the benefits of CAD. This should then progress to group work where students have the opportunity to physically model their chosen design and where possible, these structures are tested to destruction to see how much force they can withstand. Students will witness the forces of tension, compression, shear and torsion through the study of various CAD simulations.
Project: Wooden Box
This project is designed to test the student’s ability to work to close tolerance and produce a finger jointed storage box out of Pine, a natural timber. Students will learn how to join timbers together and use a variety of different hand tools to replicate a ‘master’ box and its dimensions. Marks will be awarded for how close the students follow the working drawings of the box and its overall quality of finish, alongside a timber-based theory assessment.
Year 9
In Year 9 students have one lesson a week. They will complete two projects in this year, either both with one teacher or between two teachers, one for each project.
Project: Metal bike lock
This course introduces students to some of the traditional metal working skills. which include lathe work, forging, shaping, drilling and filing. This project is designed to test a students ability to work to close tolerances as the lock is made up of two parts which need to come together at the end. During this project, students will develop their theorietical and practical knowledge of metals, which they would have studied in year 7. Students will also reinforce knowledge on CAD, by creating a virtual model of their bike lock, as well as creating working drawings alongside a portfolio.
Project: Metal cast pendant
This project will allow the students to design and make a small metal case pendent or key ring out of a metal alloy. Students will combine their knowledge of CAD and CAM to design a relief which they pendent or key ring will show once is has been cast. It is an opportunity for students to see how some commercial manufacturing techniques are used, but in a smaller, scaled down workshop version.