Please note: You can only select one GCSE Design and Technology option

Design and Technology: Product Design - this is the study of Design and Technology with a focus on Timbers and Polymers as well as other modelling materials. You will study the same core technical principles as the Design and Technology: Graphic Products students but the projects will be different. 

Your projects will include: 

• Habitat - designing and making a habitat for a small animal with consideration of the form and function of the product for outdoor use. 
• Specialist technical principles - developing a range of skills through mini projects covering timbers joints/ polymers/ 2D Design to laser cut/ TinkerCad to 3D print

Design and Technology GCSE

“Our economy is facing shortages of science, technology, engineering and maths skills, and to secure growth in high-value sectors we need more young people with practical D&T skills. The design and technology students of today are the engineers and technicians of tomorrow.” 

The GCSE in Design & Technology has two course options:

GCSE Design and Technology: Graphic products (paper and boards)

GCSE Design and Technology: Product Design (timbers and polymers) 

This video explains the course layout which is the same for Product Design and Graphic Products - all students study the same theory - called the core technical principles and they all complete an NEA project with a focus on their chosen subject specialism- called the design and make principles.

What is our curriculum intent?

GCSE Design and Technology will prepare students to participate confidently and successfully in an increasingly technological world. Students will gain awareness and learn from wider influences including historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic factors. Students will get the opportunity to work creatively when designing and making and apply technical and practical expertise.

The GCSE allows students to study core technical and designing and making principles, including a broad range of design processes, materials techniques and equipment. They will also have the opportunity to study specialist technical principles in greater depth.

Common to each of the design and technology courses are the core principals with the emphasis being on designing and making both functional and aesthetically pleasing products, building on the knowledge and understanding of industrial practices and applying processes and techniques developed at Key Stage 3. The core principals will allow students to undertake the iterative design process of exploring, creating and evaluating.

Core technical principles – the knowledge and understanding needed to make effective design choices

Specialist technical principles – in-depth knowledge and understanding of their chosen design area ( product design or graphic products)

Designing and making principles – designing within a wide range of contexts to satisfy wants or needs relating to their chosen design area

Students must also demonstrate mathematical and scientific knowledge and understanding, in relation to design and technology.

Students can only do one of the Design and Technology courses and they must be encouraged to discuss the most appropriate course with their class teacher.

How do we implement our curriculum?

In AQA GCSE Design & Technology: Product Design students are taught to use designing and communication skills to design 3D products using metals, timbers or polymers primarily. They then select appropriate processes, materials and techniques to produce a quality product that would fulfil a real life design situation.

The opportunity to design, make and evaluate will be given in design and make assignments in which students will work on needs arising from real life including existing products, artefacts and systems.

Focused practical tasks will be tackled periodically which will be skill and knowledge based and directly relevant to their design and make assignment.

When designing and making students must identify appropriate sources of information and use them to help generate ideas. They will investigate familiar products to help develop their ideas. They develop design specifications and use these to formulate a design proposal. They consider the future of their products and design for product maintenance. They make preliminary 3 dimensional models to explore and test their design thinking and use formal drawing methods to communicate their intentions.

Students will then produce plans, which predict the time needed to carry out their choice of materials and components appropriate tools, equipment and processes. They must work skilfully and precisely and ensure fine finishing to produce their quality product. They then test and evaluate their products in use and identify ways of improving them.

Typically students may work on assignments based on packaging, product modelling, corporate image and product promotion. Students who enjoy working on problems, like graphics and modelling and are able to produce neat and tidy work should find this course interesting and rewarding.

How can students be supported through learning at home?

This is directly linked to class work and is set on a regular basis. Students will typically be collecting research material, working on design problems, modelling and drawing.

How do we measure the impact of the course?

Assessments used for internal progress monitoring.  All ongoing work is formatively assessed and both verbal and written feedback given. Where we can, we relate progress against the GCSE marking criteria.

Assessments submitted to examination board

Non-exam Assessment - 50 % (30-35hrs)

In the summer of Year 10 students will choose a project title from a range of contextual challenges best suited to their specialism of product design. They will then go on to complete a substantial design and make task, which will consist of a design portfolio and a final product (prototype). Students need to have good organisational skills and be highly motivated to successfully tackle the contextual challenge.

Contextual challenges are to be released annually by AQA on 1 June in the year prior to the submission.  Students will produce a working prototype and a portfolio of evidence (max 20 pages)

Work will be marked by teachers and moderated by AQA

Written Paper – 50% (2 hours duration)

Section A – Core technical principles (20 marks)

A mixture of multiple choice and short answer questions assessing a breadth of technical knowledge and understanding.

Section B – Specialist technical principles (30 marks)

Several short answer questions (2–5 marks) and one extended response to assess a more in depth knowledge of technical principles.

Section C – Designing and making principles (50 marks)

A mixture of short answer and extended response questions including a 12 mark design question.

What we teach when

Year 10

Year 11

What extra opportunities to learn are available?

The Product Design club where a range of products are created using modern materials and electronic kits.  We also offer drop in sessions after school to support students with their coursework.

What websites do we recommend?

The current examination board specification can be found at http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/design-and-technology/gcse/design-and-technology-8552   

Students looking to consolidate, enrich or extend their knowledge and understanding might start at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/design/ 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zvg4d2p 

Contact

Mrs K Regan - kregan@wilmslowhigh.com

Curriculum Team Leader Design and Technology with Computing - Design Technology