Obsessed with the latest technology? Interested in how things work? Love making and testing out innovative ideas? Then Design Technology could be for you! DT is a practical, creative subject where you can get your hands dirty to investigate and build items using a variety of different materials, such as wood, metal and plastic. Don’t forget to fill in your DT Passport along the way to show that you can safely use the equipment and tools within our workshops!
In Cymer Afan, your DT lessons will be spent researching, designing, creating and evaluating a variety of products that you can use every day. Each year, you will earn DT points and at the end of each year, the pupil with the highest total in each year group will be named the Designer of the Year and will be awarded a Cymer Yellow Pencil Award!
In Year 7, we will introduce you to a variety of workshop machinery and tools which you will learn to use safely while making your very own moneybox. Utilising traditional carpentry skills along with cutting edge laser cutting technology makes this a very popular project with new pupils at Cymer!
In Year 8, we run an electronics themed project, currently we are making MP3 speakers! You will learn what components are inside various electronic devices, the jobs they perform and how they are made. You will also learn about a design movement called Memphis Design, it is one of our favourites!
In Year 9, we currently run two projects; design a lighting solution and create an earphone tidy. This year you will be given greater freedom in what you design, putting in to practice the knowledge you have acquired throughout your DT education. We are looking for you to run wild with your imagination and create the most innovative and forward-thinking products possible!
We also enter teams of Y8 pupils into the F1 in Schools competition each year and have won the South Wales Regional Final in both 2016 and 2017 and gone on to compete at the UK National Final at Silverstone, placing 4th in the UK each year.
Design and Technology is a vital part of every day life… Everything you interact with daily, from your mobile phone to your clothes, your house to your pencil case has been created by a designer. DT opens a world of opportunities and careers from practical trades, engineering, graphic design, fashion design and many, many more. We are truly passionate about good design being interlinked with traditional and innovative manufacturing techniques and hope you will be too!