Design Technology

Key StageQualificationCourse CodeExam Board
KS4GCSEAQA Design Technology 8552AQA
KS4GCSEEduqas Food Preparation & Nutrition C560P1Eduqas
KS5A LevelEduqas Product DesignEduqas
KS5Level 3 Diploma​Food Science and Nutrition WJEC 601/4553/5WJEC
KS5A Level​Eduqas Textiles Eduqas

Year 8 into 9

Studying Design and Technology gives students the opportunity to develop a range of skills that will equip them for their role in society and work. Through the range of subjects on offer, students can develop a number of skills and have fun making things that are valuable and useful. As part of their studies, all students will investigate the core principles of design as well as learning about a wide range of materials and their application. Students will then choose a material area to specialise in from the range below, exploring them in more depth and applying their understanding of the materials to the development of products. Students can only choose one focus area to study in Year 9.

Years 10 & 11

The course is comprised of a Non-Examined Assessment which is done in lesson time and an exam at the end of Year 11. Each element forms 50% of the final GCSE grade. The Non-Examined Assessment (NEA) gives students the opportunity to investigate the need for a product, use their creative skills to develop design proposals, make prototypes and then evaluate the success of their prototypes. The final exam assesses student’s knowledge of the core principles of design and their understanding of materials.

Textiles Textile Products is an exciting course giving students the opportunity to develop fabric-based projects. Fashion products, accessories and interior furnishings are just some of the routes that students will investigate, as well as some more unusual uses for fabrics such as those used in medicine, sport and the automotive industry. The course also allows students to combine their previous skills and knowledge from all material areas at KS3 to combine them into a textile-based product, allowing the integration of electronics for example.

Electronics Students will learn basic electronic principles that will involve studying a range of key electronic components and how they can be combined to create different circuit types. Students will be aware of the soldering process and how to simulate their designs on CAD software. The design of casings to house the circuits allows students to apply their knowledge of polymer and wood-based materials learnt at KS3 in design, as well as developing their knowledge of the needs of the user.

Product Design Woods, Plastics, Papers and Boards
This focus area allows students to develop a deeper understanding of material properties, with a particular focus on woods, plastics and papers and boards. Students will develop their practical skills by constructing simple wooden and plastic structures, as well as prototyping their designs using paper and boards. Students will also develop their knowledge of Computer Aided Design (CAD) using the 2D Design software, with the opportunity to explore CAM manufacturing processes, such as the laser cutter.

Sixth Form (Product Design)

Module Assessment
Module 1: Designing and InnovationWritten exam, 3 hours
50% of A Level
Module 2: Materials and ComponentsNon-exam assessment
Design and make project
approx. 80 hours
50% of A Level
Module 3: Processes ​
Module 4: Industrial and Commercial Practice
Module 5: Product Analysis and Systems
Module 6: Human Responsibility
Module 7: Public Interaction – Marketing and Research

Sixth Form (Fashion and Textiles)

Module Assessment
Module 1: Designing and InnovationWritten exam, 3 hours
50% of A Level
Module 2: Materials and ComponentsNon-exam assessment
Design and make project
approx. 80 hours
50% of A Level
Module 3: Processes ​
Module 4: Industrial and Commercial Practice
Module 5: Product Analysis and Systems
Module 6: Human Responsibility
Module 7: Public Interaction – Marketing and Research

Sixth Form (Food Science and Nutrition Level 3 Diploma)