Design Challenge - locker organiser

Could you help this poor student?
His locker is in chaos. Even if he tidies it, within days it's back to this.

If you have some design ideas, pass them to Mr Rowe and you can have a biscuit!

DT COOL WALL is LIVE!!

If you've watched Top Gear then you've seen their Cool Wall. Its where Clarkson, Hammond and May post up pictures of cars and decide if they are Seriously uncool, uncool, cool or Sub Zero!

Well, we are launching a DT Cool Wall. If you think a product is cool (or not) then we want to know!

Entry sheets can be found in a clear pocket next to the cool wall outside the DT department or you can download the powerpoint entry sheet from our DROPBOX

Electronic entries can be emailed to us at silcoatesdt@gmail.com

Year 9 Clothes Hangers

9B were busy designing a better clothes hanger today. They sat in groups to discuss their ideas then went back to developing/modelling their idea.

Year 9 Graphics

Year 9 practising their lino printing!

Back to school - back to Maltesers!

We have been back a week and it's business as usual in the DT department.

9A gut stuck in to their first lesson by tackling a Halloween themed Malteser challenge. They had to design and make a promotional container for a sample of Maltesers.

15 minutes to design and 25 minutes to make!

Activities Week - Focus on Poverty

Year 8 pupils spent Tuesday focusing on issues of world poverty. Groups were rotated through five different activities and down in the DT department we talked to them about the slums in India. Mr Mistry showed the pupils some photos of slums he had visited in Goa and they also watched a short channel 4 documentary.

Below are some pictures of what went on.

Activities week, challenge 1

To build an air powered vehicle using foam.

Activities Week - Design Challenge

As part of the schools activities week, groups of pupils chose to do particular challenges. For the Design Group a series of challenges were tackled throughout the day.

Challenge 1 - Air Powered Cars
Using a range of limited materials, pupils designed, constructed then raced air powered cars





Challenge 2 - Structures

Pupils had to build a structure from art straws capable of spanning a hole and supporting as much weight as possible whilst remaining lightweight.





Challenge 3 - Water Carriers

Given only 30 minutes, the pupils had to design and model a device capable of carrying a cup of water... on their head!





A relay race was held to determine the winner.

More year 7 google sketch up

Year 7 learning how to follow a path while trying to create cups.

Year 6 Taster Days

Year 6 and pupils from other schools spent a day at school learning about life in the senior school. In DT pupils made monster photo holders.

Year 7 Google Sketchup

Glass wear from year 7. Learning to rotate an object

AS mock innovation challenge

The AS groups are hard at work doing a practice challenge today.


They are currently designing innovative products for public spaces. They will be modelling them this afternoon.

Their real exam is in a few weeks time - good luck!

Liz finally makes a model!

Liz proudly shows off her festival product. A device that fits over a Wellington boot for storing all your festival essentials.

Technology Tournament Winners!

This year Silcoates entered two teams in to the Rotary Technology Tournament. One team of four year 9 students and one team of four Lower Sixth students. Given limited materials and equipment the design challenge was to manufacture a crane which incorporated an electronic motor that had to lift a given weight. The crane had to travel along a rail and furthermore it needed to be moved and operated from a distance of 1 metre away.




Both teams overcame endless challenges and produced a working model as well as demonstrating excellent teamwork skills.




The Lower Sixth team came first in the advanced category and were presented with the Rotary Technology Tournament trophy as well as a £50 cheque for the school. The year 9 students came sixth. Both teams were a pleasure to spend time with and they were a credit to themselves and the school.

Year 9 learn more about ergonomics and anthropometrics

The Year 9 Product Design started by gathering anthropometric data on each other then analysing a range of chairs to see how comfortable they were.

They then used card to enhance the chairs and make them more ergonomic by adding features like taller back rests, arm rests and cup holders.

Once their analysis was complete, they presented their findings and their improved chairs to the rest of the class.

AS mini challenge - Recipe book stand

This group of AS students had 1 hour to design, develop and model a design for an innovative recipe book stand.

Year 10 mini innovation challenge

10A were learning about innovation today and in less than 30 minutes they designed and modelled a product that displayed their name and favourite hobby.

Year 7 Bookends

Jay and Max show off their new bookends.

Steady Hand games

Rebecca, Hannah, Georgia and Brianna of year 7, show off their newly finished steady hand games.

A2 Projects

It's week three of making and the sixth form are hard at work on their major projects.

Salad Server Product Analysis

Eddie and Nick show off their analysis to the group. Their group learned how a product analysis helps designers to make better products.