Subject Leader: Miss T Sarton – tsarton@knoleacademy.org
Subject Teachers: Mr N Mumford
Exam Board: AQA
Entry Requirements
Minimum of 5 9-4 grades in GCSE examinations, including English and Maths.
Intent
This creative and thought-provoking qualification gives students the practical skills, theoretical knowledge and confidence to succeed in a number of careers. Especially those in the creative industries.
They will investigate historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic influences on design and technology, whilst enjoying opportunities to put their learning in to practice by producing prototypes of their choice.
Students will gain a real understanding of what it means to be a designer, alongside the knowledge and skills sought by higher education and employers
Implementation
A-level Design and Technology: Product Design requires students to engage in both practical and theoretical study. This specification requires students to cover design and technology skills and knowledge as set out below. These have been separated into:
- technical principles
- designing and making principles.
Students should develop the ability to draw on and apply a range of skills and knowledge from other subject areas to inform their decisions in design and the application or development of technology, and must also demonstrate maths and science skills.
Impact
The course has been designed for Post 16 students to have the opportunity to investigate historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic influences on design and technology whilst enjoying opportunities to put their learning into practice by producing prototypes of their choice. Students will understand what it means to be a designer alongside the knowledge and skills sought by higher education and employers.
This Qualification gives students the practical skills, theoretical knowledge and confidence to succeed in several careers, especially creative industries.
Course Outline
- Gain an insight into the creative, engineering and/or manufacturing industries
- Develop the capacity to think creatively, innovatively and critically through focused research and the exploration of design opportunities arising from the needs, wants and values of users and clients.
- Develop an in-depth knowledge and understanding of materials, components and processes associated with creating products that can be tested and evaluated.
- Be able to make informed design decisions through an in-depth understanding of the management and development of taking a design through to a prototype/ product.
- Be able to create and analyse a design concept and use a range of skills and knowledge from other subject areas, including maths and science, to inform decisions in design.
- Develop skills in a range of software and machinery, including 3D printing and CAD/CAM.
Examination Information
Exam Board: AQA
Qualification: Advanced GCE in Design and Technology: Product Design 7552
Paper 1: Technical Principles (30%)
Written exam. 2 hours and 30 minutes. 120 marks.
- A mixture of short answers and extended responses.
Paper 2: Designing and making principles (20%)
Written exam. 1 hour and 30 minutes 80 marks.
- A mixture of short answer and extended response questions.
- Section A: Product Analysis: 30 marks. Up to 6 short answer questions based on visual product(s) stimulus.
- Section B: Commercial manufacture: 50 marks Mixture of short and extended response questions
Non-exam assessment (NEA) (50%)
100 marks.
- Practical application of technical principles, designing and making principles.
- Written or digital design portfolio and photographic evidence of the final prototype.
- Substantial design and make project.
Product Design Future Paths
Teaching, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering and more.