The school
Sinfin Community School is situated on the edge of Derby City. Until recently the school was a 720, 5-form pupil entry school. Due to some re-organising within the schools in the city and the resulting closure of a nearby school, the number of pupils attending the school in September 2001 rose to over 900. About a quarter of the school population speak English as an additional language and almost a quarter of the pupils require additional learning support.
The department
As a result of school closures, the staff numbers in the department are due to rise from the current 4 full time to 6 full time staff. There is also a full-time technician supporting the resistant materials, graphics and control systems aspects of the D&T curriculum. One new member of staff to the department also brings a great deal of expertise in Systems and Control.
The head of department
The head of department is Paul Smithson, who has been at the school for 5 years.
"I studied for a degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Northumbria and for 5 years worked as an engineer at Rolls Royce. I then did my PGCE at Nottingham Trent University and have taught in my present school since 1996. Before that I taught in another Derby City school for 5 years.
What we are trying to do is to modernise some aspects of the work we do with the pupils. We recognise that we need to include more of the high-tech activities and broaden the range of materials that we work with. These new approaches also give our pupils a better understanding of the modern world."
The other members of the department are Caroline Kay (second in the department and in charge of graphics and KS3), Paula Logan (in charge of food technology and literacy co-ordinator), Andrew Willatt (in charge of resistant materials), Jaimini Jethwa (in charge of textiles) and Steve Blood (responsible for the joint development of the systems and control). The department also has a full-time technician, Ray, to support the staff in the department.
The department has a number of rooms in use. The food technology rooms are situated away from the main block of rooms. There is a small graphics area, a textiles room and a very large workshop where two groups may be on at any one time.
The large workshop
Textiles Room
Current provision in KS3
The whole of the KS3 D&T curriculum was re-organised during the 2001-2002 school year and there are plans to introduce more PIC technology into the activities.
The current provision in KS3 gives pupils one systems and control activity per annum. This provision also includes structures and mechanisms. In Y7 the pupils develop a simple electronic circuit in the form of a drawer alarm based on a light sensor unit. In Y8 the pupils develop a moisture sensor as well as looking at structures.
In Y9 there is some development work going in to introduce PIC systems into one of the activities. Currently, one of the activities involves the pupils designing a moving display which could be related to a game or shop display. Within the display, various motors, lights etc will be operating. The control is achieved using PIC Logicator.
The control of these displays was fairly straightforward. Examples of the control programs used can be found here: (program 1) and (program 2). Both displays are initiated by pressing a button.
The review of the KS3 curriculum has also meant that teaching staff stay with the pupils throughout Y7 and move through the different material areas with them. This has also involved some internal INSET so that all members of the department are comfortable working outside their specialist areas.
The decision to offer Systems and Control at KS4
The decision to offer Systems and Control at KS4 has come about from a recognition that the department needs both to offer a wider curriculum and to offer the more able pupils a more challenging GCSE course. A new member of staff in the department, Steve Blood, also brings expertise within the areas of systems and control and this will complement and support the moves made by the head of department.
The department decided to offer Systems & Control because it wanted to broaden the range of GCSE's available to the pupils.
In September 2001 a total of 20 pupils started the GCSE course. These are arranged into two groups of 14 and 6 respectively. There are 19 boys and 1 girl in this current cohort.
Paul comments:
"They were chosen because of their commitment to this aspect of design and technology in Y9 and because we were coping with a new course.
Nevertheless, we have ended up with a group with a wide ability range - but they are all motivated and interested in the activities.
One lad is a school phobic but he is coming back at lunchtime and putting in extra hours."
This case study focuses on the development of GCSE Systems and Control and develops over the school year as the course unfolds.
