Design & Technology
autumn
spring
Accordion content
summer
Accordion content
GCSE Design Technology covers the fundamental issues of design:
-
Identify a product that solves a problem from the context provided before investigating existing products, the needs of the end user and any sustainability issues.
-
Review how different materials, components, processes and techniques can be used to address the design brief before clearly communicating and justifying the winning design.
-
Apply practical skills to produce a prototype that meets the requirements of the design brief, showing a wide range of making skills with precision and accuracy.
-
Test the prototype under realistic conditions, analyse the results and carry out a Life Cycle Assessment to evaluate fitness for purpose and impact on the environment.
The ‘Timber’ specialism will place emphasis on the development of both practical skills and subject knowledge concerning the resistant material of wood.
Over the course of two years you will develop a whole range of creative designing and making skills, technical knowledge and understanding relating to design technology and invaluable transferable skills such as problem solving and time management.
The focus of Year 10 is to familiarise students with different aspects of practical work, allowing them to explore a range of skills. During this period they will also study the theoretical aspects of the course in preparation for their written examination at the end of Year 11.
The exam paper will assess the breadth of design and technology knowledge in the Core section, and assess the depth of knowledge in the chosen material area for the Specialist section to enable students to fully demonstrate their own particular strengths or specialism.
-
Students will develop and apply design skills that will help to prepare them for modern contexts in the world today.
-
New and emerging technologies will be explored to support design expertise now and in the future.
-
Innovation and creativity is encouraged, adding the confidence to take design risks.
Year 11 Exam will contain 2 sections; section A core will cover 15% maths, using mechanical calculation and formulas / equations to solve problems.
Year 11 will involve the students participating in a design and make activity that is submitted as part of their controlled assessment unit. This will be undertaken independently to assess the skills they have learnt throughout their previous year. Once this is complete, students will participate in a revision programme to prepare for their final exam.