From the light bulb, the internet, mobile phones, electric cars and laptops, products have defined generations, changing the way we live our lives. The Design & Technology syllabus offers the perfect subject for those who love to be creative problem solvers, innovators, designers, leaders and team players.

With rapidly changing global challenges ahead, the skills you gain within Design & Technology will be at the forefront of solving the problems that businesses and society face. The approach known as Design Thinking, that you will learn in Design & Technology, is a fantastic lifetime asset, and respected and valued by many. If you enjoy being creative, get satisfaction from problem solving and can spot what people want, you could be a great designer and innovator.

The GCSE in Design and Technology covers a variety of concepts and builds on the various skills taught from prep schools and the 3^rd Form.

Pupils learn about important design issues like ergonomics, manufacturing techniques, new and emerging technologies and energy sources, developments in materials and client centric design amongst many interesting items that are covered throughout the course.

To put these into practice pupils engage in their Non-Exam Assessment (NEA) which also includes: research into design contexts; identifying design problems to solve; developing design concepts and modelling and working with clients. The end goal is to design and make a working prototype for a real client which solves the design problem that the pupil has identified. Following completion, the project is reviewed and reflected on to allow for further modifications and enhancements.

Traditional presentation skills such as sketching will be an area worked on and new communication skills such as CAD, with Fusion 360 will be further developed. Many new technologies continue to be introduced into the department to support the pupils work.

What is the structure of the course?

The GCSE Design and Technology. Exam Board AQA course 8552 is split into two sections:

Examination Paper Written Paper - 2 hours - 100 marks - 50%. Candidates answer all questions in three sections.

• Section A: Core Technical Principles (20 Marks), multiple choice and short answer questions.
• Section B: Specialist Technical Principles (30 Marks) Several short answer questions and one extended response.
• Section C Designing and making principles (50 Marks) short and extended answers including extended response questions.

Non-Examined Assessment (NEA) - Approximately 40 hours - 100 marks - 50%. Consists a single design and make task selected from 3 design contexts set by AQA and available to the Pupils in June in the year before submission. Completion date is in the last week of the Easter term. Moderation takes place in April and results of this will be presented to the candidates before their work is sent away for external moderation.

GCSE Specification

The A Level Design and Technology, Product Design qualification, gives pupils the practical skills, theoretical knowledge and confidence to succeed in a number of careers. Especially those in the creative industries.

Pupils will produce their own design portfolio, researching a specific problem area of their choice, working with a live client to enhance and improve a situation. They will be working with many different materials, testing outcomes to see how successfully they meet the requirements of their client, before building a completed working prototype, which will be evaluated based on the success of it fulfilling the requirements set out at the beginning in the specification. (Iterative design is a process of designing a product in which the product is tested and evaluated repeatedly at different stages of design to eliminate usability flaws before the product is designed and launched). This constitutes 50% of the A Level.

The exam component will test pupils’ knowledge of materials and manufacturing techniques, look at their understanding of various manufacturing process, examine their working knowledge of the design process, identify the role of a designer, and their responsibility’s in this role, as well as enable them to show off their talent and passion as a designer.

The assessment of the course is broken down into three areas: -

1. Technical principles written exam 2.5hrs 30% of the A Level. This is a mixture of short and extended responses.
2. Design and Making principles written exam 1.5hrs 20% of the A Level. This looks at product analysis and commercial manufacture.
3. Non-exam assessment 50% of the exam, submitted as a written or digital portfolio and photographic evidence of the final prototype.

Pupils should develop the ability to draw on and apply a range of skills and knowledge from other subject areas to inform their decisions in design and the application or development of technology. There are clear links between aspects of the specification content and other subject areas, including business studies, art and design, history of art, the sciences and maths. There are also opportunities within the specification for pupils to integrate and apply their wider knowledge and understanding from other subject areas studied at GCSE.

Design and technology can set you up for a career in a wide variety of industries. Careers for people with design and technology qualifications include: Product Designer, Architect, Software Engineer, Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Plastic Surgeon, Material Scientist, or even the next James Dyson or Jonathan Ive.

A Level Specification

Head of Design & Technology
Mr Nick Hart