design & technology

welcome Video

Course Overview

A GCSE in design and technology will prepare students to become creative and critical thinkers, developing skills to design and deliver prototypes that solve real and relevant problems. It is a foundation in the principles and iterative design practices of various 21st century design and manufacture industries. The qualification offers flexibility in the approaches students use to apply knowledge and understanding of these practices and principles when designing and making prototypes that solve real and relevant problems.

Year 10 - You will study a wide range of materials including papers and boards, timber, metals, polymers and textile fibres and fabrics, you will also develop an understanding of systems, programmable components and mechanisms to support any potential design solutions you may develop later on. You will also learn about wider design principles and the effect of design on users and the world we live in. You will develop this knowledge through both practical and theory activities.

Year 11 - You will complete a piece of coursework worth 50% of the final grade. You will ‘explore’ real needs and contexts, ‘create’ solutions and ‘evaluate’ how well the needs have been met and the problem solved. This will be presented in a portfolio, where you will carry out a range of activities ranging from researching the initial idea, through designing and design development on to modelling and the production of a final product.

assessment method

The coursework project taken in Y11 is a single task that is worth 50% of the qualification. Eduqas will release contextual challenges in June of Y10. There will be three open and real-world contexts for learners to interpret and explore, creating iterations when designing and making through the processes of ‘explore, create and evaluate’

The other 50% of the qualification covers the principles of design and technology in an examination. This is a single examination component with questions covering both ‘core’ and ‘in-depth’ content. This examination is 2 hours and questions offer full access to all learners regardless of their practical experiences in the subject. When in- depth knowledge is tested, optionality is offered to ensure each of main material categories and design engineering can all be accessed.

Future Routes

The study of design and technology can lead to future careers in product design, engineering, architecture, fashion and graphic design; it will develop your design and thinking skills that open up a world of possibility, providing the tools to create the future.

faqS

Q. What do I do on the course?

A. The first year of the course contains a lot of theory work where you learn about the history of design, environmental aspects, design principles, material properties, and other technical aspects of the subject. There will be a mixture of teacher led theory lessons, student led research projects and focussed practical tasks.

The second year is about applying what you have learnt to produce a portfolio of work that documents your journey through a project; researching a problem, designing a solution, planning and making the solution and evaluating the process.

The course culminates in a final exam in the summer. The coursework and exam are worth 50% each.

Q. What is the coursework?

A. The coursework element begins at the beginning of June in Yr10. The exam board issue 3 contextual challenges, which you then explore to identify your design problem. From there you will identify a client who you would be making the product for, research the problem, design a range of potential solutions, settle on one to develop further, plan how to make the product, make the final solution and evaluate what you have done.

Q. What can a Product Design GCSE help me go on to do?

A. Product Design is the practical application of all other subjects learnt at school, therefore it can help you in any future career you choose. You will learn a number of skills including note taking, project and time management, analysis and evaluative skills, methods of communication, CAD skills as well as enhancing more common everyday computer use, practical making skills, and many more. Most of these are transferable to other subjects and can be utilised in future careers.

Q. How much practical work is there?

A. GCSE Product Design has become more academic in the past few years; as such there is a greater emphasis on learning subject knowledge instead of making products. Of the final grade, only 15% is for the practical outcome. We believe, however, that practical skills are important, so we aim to have one practical based project per term in Yr10. In Yr11, it is expected that you will be completing your practical work from October half term through to the end of January of the following year.

Q. Can I make what whatever I like for the coursework?

A. Whilst there are some constraints that the exam board place on the coursework, and our workshop facilities are not endless, there are normally ways to ensure you are undertaking a project that you have a vested interest in. We will always work to help you realise your design ideas and may be able to make use of other school/institutions facilities to make that happen.

Q. What resources are available to help?