Who are we?

The Technology Faculty at Redden Court School is a forward thinking faculty with a successful track record of academic achievement. The  subjects making up the Technology Faculty include ICT, Business Studies, Product Design, Catering and Textiles. Our teachers have a wealth of experience and are committed to achieving success.

KS3 ICT

The ICT/Computing department has many ICT suites within the school. We have advanced programming software installed such as ‘Python’ which is an invaluable resource for aspiring programmers. Each of our classrooms has a minimum of 25 computers, as well as access to two chromebook trolleys.

Computing is taught at Key Stage 3. Computer Science is becoming an essential skill for life due to the increased use of technology in all aspects of society. Some of the skills learnt are:

• An understanding of how algorithms are represented as flowcharts used for solving problems.

• Discovering a range of ways to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely, including protecting online identities and privacy; recognise inappropriate content, contact and conduct, and know how to report concerns.

• Using two or more programming languages, one of which is textual (Python), each used to solve a variety of computational problems.

• Understanding the hardware and software components that make up computer systems and how they interact.

• 
  How data of various types can be represented and manipulated in the form of binary digits including numbers, text and be able to carry out simple addition.

KS3 Design & Technology

In Design and Technology students follow a carousel so that they may experience all of the design subjects including Textiles, Food Technology and Product Design. In each subject students will make a variety of products teaching new skills and allowing them to experiment with a range of tools and materials.

Product Design

Product Design is a subject where students learn to create new products to meet the needs and wants of a customer or client. It’s a combination of art, technology and science to create innovative products and gadgets. Students learn a wide range of skills through a mixture of hands on and theory based learning, and for their GCSE project they must design and make a new product to follow a set brief. Their learning from the course will be tested by a theory based paper at the end of the course.

This course is currently 60% coursework in order to recognise the importance of practical work within this subject and students are currently working on projects where they can design and make their very own MP3 docking stations, lighting products, clocks and mirrors. Alongside this students must create a 25 page portfolio to illustrate their design process.

Catering Ending 2017 to be replaced with Food Preparation and Nutrition

The Catering subject looks at all aspects of the Catering Industry to develop students skills and understanding. After successful completion of the course students could progress onto higher education or straight into the Catering industry. Students build on their skills and knowledge and are encouraged to develop their own ideas demonstrating creativity. The course is a mixture of practical and theory. Controlled assessment is completed in class to set specification and there is an formal written examination in the summer.

The brand new Food Preparation and Nutrition GCSE course encourages the investigation and study of cooking and nutrition in a variety of contexts. Students will demonstrate their practical capability by combining knowledge, understanding and skills required to cook. They will also study the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating. The course provides opportunities for students to develop many transferable skills. The course will help students with the vital life skills and allow them to make informed decision to enable them to affordably and nutritiously feed themselves and others. Career options afterwards are much more varied from chef to nutritionist.

Textiles Design

This new addition to RCS GCSE options is an exciting and innovative area specialising in Textiles Design. Students will need to identify and solve problems by demonstrating their creativity by designing and making products for a variety of contexts and briefs. They will be able to focus their interest within their work in areas such as fashion, interiors or theatrical. The course combines theory and practical, with students learning and developing techniques, analysing and being inspired by designers while working on projects to build up a portfolio of work.

Students may wish to continue their interest onto further and higher education or apprenticeship schemes to enable them to work into a huge range of industries in careers such as Fashion Designers, Textiles designer, Fashion Buyers, Garment Technologist, Interior Designers, Tailors, Pattern Cutters, illustrators, Costumiers or Visual merchandisers.

ICT KS4

GCSE ICT - Edexcel

• Unit 2 Coursework: Using Digital Tools

This is a practical unit. Students broaden and enhance their ICT skills and capability. They work with a range of digital tools and techniques to produce effective ICT solutions in a range of contexts.

• Unit 1 exam: Living in a Digital World

Students will learn how digital technology impacts on the lives of individuals, businesses and society. This is assessed via a 1hr 30 mins written exam set by Edexcel.

Business Studies

We run the Pearson Edexcel Business Studies course at Redden Court School and it has proved an ever increasingly popular option for our students. A GCSE in Business Studies will take a critical approach to business and economics, focusing on topics such as building a business, business communications, and the extent to which business and economic activity can be ethical and sustainable.