Design & Technology -resistant materials

During the Resistant Materials course, you will learn to design and make products with creativity and originality using a range of materials, mostly wood, metal and plastic, and will have the opportunity to use a wide variety of tools and equipment to manufacture quality products.

During the course you will also learn about computer-aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacturing (CAM), quality control, environmental issues and sustainability of physical resources.

Our GCSE course allows learners to study core technical and designing and making principles, including a broad range of design processes, materials techniques and equipment. You will also have the opportunity to study specialist technical principles focusing on timber in greater depth.

We will recommend a textbook/revision guide to assist with this.  The course is heavily weighted towards those skills associated with designing, creativity, originality, flair and imagination. 

In Cohorts 9 and 10 you will complete a number of ‘design and make’ projects to improve your knowledge and understanding of materials and processes.  In the past these have included a CAD games console controller project using the laser cutter, a metal toffee hammer, a small wooden box and rapid prototyping including an electronic element.

In Cohort 11 you will work on your non-examination assessment task that will account for 50% of the final GCSE grade. 

The course offered in Resistant Materials is open to all learners who have a keen interest and passion for designing and making projects using the materials and equipment detailed above.

Over the duration of the course, you will develop your basic skills so that they are able to complete your major projects, to the highest possible standard. 

Here at Honywood we follow the AQA examination course.  During Cohort 9, attention is given to learning and developing skills via a variety of smaller projects using different materials / resources.  Alongside this, learners will also be shown how to set out their design folder and preparation for the exam.

During Cohort 10 learners begin the non-examination assessment task which will continue into Cohort 11.  They will then complete various tasks to support their theory knowledge ready for the Summer exam. 

There will be a 50/50 split between exam and non-examination assessment (NEA).

At the end of the course, learners can move on to study A-Levels in Product or Industrial Design, Electronics or Engineering.  This opens the possibility of studying for a degree in a related subject and the development of a career in Electrical or structural Engineering, Architecture, Furniture design or specialised engineering field.

Learners could continue their education in related courses such as Construction, Carpentry, Electronics or complete an apprenticeship.

Mrs Howard, Subject Leader, (choward@honywoodschool.com)