Design & Technology

What does GCSE Design and Technology offer me?

“Design and Technology is a phenomenally important subject. Logical, creative and practical, it’s the only opportunity students have to apply what they learn in Maths and Science.”

Sir James Dyson Founder and Chairman of Dyson and Patron to the D & T Association

Everything in this world is designed and the future requires designing too This exciting new course will allow you to develop your design and critical thinking skills. You will be supported to be innovative and inventive as and use your skills to design and make new and better solutions to real life problems – on your own and with others - using the materials you choose.

By studying this course you will:

Develop skills for life. Our aim is to prepare you to become critical and creative designers, engineers and consumers of the future. You will follow iterative design processes that are used in industry. These will allow you develop a range of skills and personal qualities including independence, team working, problem solving, resilience, resourcefulness, risk taking and entrepreneurship.

The specificationhasnomat erial bias; you will develop your skills through working with any appropriate materials including, where and when appropriate, the use of ICT.

This course is an exciting opportunity for you to gain a greater understanding of design in the real world and will provide opportunities for further study in the fi elds of design, engineering and architecture.

What does the course entail?

Assessment GCSE (9-1) AQA ritten exam: 2 hours and worth 50% of the GCSE

Section A – Core technical principles (20 marks) - A mixture of multiple choice and short answer questions assessing a breadth of technical knowledge andunderstanding.

Section B – Specialist technical principles (30 marks) - Several short answer questions (2–5 marks) and one extended response to assess a more in-depth knowledgeof technical principles.

Section C – Designing and making principles (50 marks)A mixture of short answer and extended response questions.

Non-exam assessment (NEA): 30–35 hours and worth 50% of the GCSE. Substantial design and make task. Contextual challenges to be released annually by AQA on 1 June in the year prior to examination Students will produce a prototype and a portfolio of evidence. Work will be marked by teachers and moderated by AQA.

Beyond GCSE

Given its breadth and depth Design and Technology this GCSE opens the door to a wide range of careers in the creative, engineering and manufacturing industries. There are a wide range of degree courses that are directly related to this subject. This course is also excellent preparation for careers in many other fields including medicine, law and IT. Whatever career you choose, the knowledge and skills you learn, particularly those concerned with rapidly developing technologies, will be extremely valuable.

Curriculum enrichment

During the course, students will be offered the opportunity to go on various educational visits, including an overseas trip. Lunch time clinics run on most days of the week and after school clubs are available by prior arrangement with staff.