Subject Introduction

The Design & Technology Department aims to stimulate curiosity in students, promote problem solving skills and develop critical thinking skills. Technology is constantly evolving and we want to ensure that every student develops skills so that they have an option to pursue engineering or designing in a modern and rapidly changing world.

Students are taught to understand and apply iterative design processes. They are encouraged to explore, create and evaluate a range of outcomes that solve real and relevant problems. They must consider their own and others’ needs, wants, and values.

Our facilities include specialist workshops for Design and Technology.

Key Stage 3 Information

All students study design and technology in KS3, in line with National Curriculum guidelines and as an enrichment subject in Year 8. A carousel system operates between the design & technology department and PSHE. Students spend half the year studying design & technology in year 8. In year 9, students can then choose to carry on studying design and technology as a GCSE. At this stage, the curriculum seeks to develops knowledge and understanding of different commodities, materials, and specialist equipment.

Over the course of Key Stage 3 students will complete the following projects:

• Designing and making a mobile phone holder
• Develop a basic understanding of the design process, wood and plastic material and electronic components.
• In Year 9 students focus on the core content of various materials - metals; paper and boards; polymers, systems; textiles; and timbers.

Key Stage 4 Information

At Key Stage 4, students will acquire subject knowledge in Design and Technology that builds on knowledge from Key Stage 3. This includes incorporating knowledge and understanding of different commodities, materials, and manufacturing processes to design and make (with confidence) prototypes in response to issues, needs, problems and opportunities. Students learn how to take design risks, helping them to become resourceful, innovative, and enterprising citizens. They develop an awareness of practices from the food, creative, engineering and manufacturing industries. Students develop an understanding of their impact on daily life and the wider world and understand that high-quality design & technology is important to the creativity, culture, sustainability, wealth and well-being of the nation and the global community.

GCSE Design and Technology

Students must complete all assessment in May/June in any single year.

Content Overview

Examining Board: Pearson Edexcel

Name of Course: Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in Design and Technology.

Specification Code: 1DT0

Grading: 9-1

Component 1 - Written Examination

• Externally assessed
• 50% of the total GCSE

Assessment Overview of Component 1

The assessment is 1 hour 45-minute long and there are two sections to the paper. Section A is assessed on the core content and Section B is assessed on the material category students have chosen from a) Metals, b) Papers and boards, c) Polymers, d) Systems, e) Textiles and f) Timbers,

Component 1 Section A: Core

This section is 40 marks and contains a mixture of different question styles, including open-response, graphical, calculation and extended-open-response questions. There will be 10 marks of calculation questions in Section A.

Component 1 Section B: Material Categories

This section is 60 marks and contains a mixture of different question styles, including open-response, graphical, calculation and extended-open-response questions. There will be 5 marks of calculation questions in Section B.

Component 2 - Non-examined Assessment

Specification code: 1DT0/2

• Internally assessed
• 50% of the total GCSE

Overview of Component 2

The task for the NEA, (the Contextual Challenge), will be published annually in June on the Pearson website. The NEA must be submitted at the end of Year 11 and the examination must also be taken in the same academic year.

Choosing a contextual challenge

Pearson will release the contextual challenges to centres in June of the calendar year preceding the year in which the qualification is to be awarded. Students will be expected to select one of the challenges and undertake a small-scale project in response to this realistic contextual challenge, considering the needs and wants of the user.

Overview of Assessment of Component 2

Students will undertake a project based on a contextual challenge released by the exam board a year before certification. The project will test students’ skills in investigating, designing, making, and evaluating a prototype of a product. Task will be internally assessed and externally moderated.

There are four parts to the assessment with a total of 100 marks.

1 - Investigate (16 marks)

• This includes investigation of needs and research, and a product specification.

2 - Design (42 marks)

• This includes producing different design ideas, review of initial ideas, development of design ideas into a chosen design, communication of design ideas and review of the chosen design.

3 - Make (36 marks)

• This includes manufacture, quality and accuracy.

4 - Evaluate (6 marks)

• This includes testing and evaluation.

Design and Technology Curriculum Map All Years