GCSE Design & Technology
Subject leader: Mr A Vallally-Godfrey
Exam board: AQA
Course Description:
GCSE Design and Technology is about being creative enabling you to develop designing skills based on identifying needs and practical problem-solving. Studying Design and Technology helps support students in developing important and valuable life skills. You will also understand the importance of and need for well-designed items that enhance and improve people’s lives.
You can choose to study either:
GCSE Design Technology – Resistant Materials
or
GCSE Design Technology – Textiles
Course Units
Mini projects in Y9 and Y10
- Theory / practical theory
- Practical projects, developing skills and using different materials
- Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing
- Designing and modelling
- Problem-solving
Non-Examination Assessment (coursework) 35 hour project – worth 50%
- Research
- Ideas
- Development
- Manufacturing
- Testing and evaluating
Examination paper – worth 50%
- Core technical principles
- Specialist technical principles
- Design and make principles
Assessment:
50% NEA (Coursework) Research, designing, developing, modelling, making and evaluating. The exam board will set the theme for students to follow. The NEA should take no longer than 35 hours. Students can select working with wood or textiles as their main material focus. This will need to be selected on the options form.
50% Examination which lasts 2 hours. In addition, at least 15% of the exam will assess maths and at least 10% of the exam will assess science.
Why should I study this course?
Student Quote:
“In DT, learning how to use all of the different machinery, computer-aided design and discovering the best suited materials for a product provided me with essential skills and was very interesting. The course also allowed me to use creativity, especially when designing products. It was one of my favourite options!” – Sienna
