Design & Technology has a major impact on every part of our lives. Our homes, transport, communication, entertainment and leisure activities are all the outcome of design and technological activity. As technological change gathers pace, it is essential that our pupils have a thorough understanding of the world in which they live.

A level Design & Technology aims to provide an opportunity for pupils to develop their own creativity, capability and entrepreneurial skills, to apply knowledge and understanding to a range of technological activities and to develop critical thinking and collaborative skills.

The minimum requirement for A level Design & Technology is grade 6 at GCSE.

In particular, the aims of the GCSE qualification in Design & Technology allow pupils to:

• Develop and sustain innovation, creativity and Design & Technology capability, to recognise constraints and produce high quality products

• Develop a critical understanding of the influences of the processes and products of design and technological activity

• Apply essential knowledge, understanding and skills of design production processes to a range of technological activities and develop an understanding of industrial processes

• Use ICT to enhance their design and technological capability

• Recognise the social, moral, spiritual and cultural values inherent in design and technological activity

Pupils identify a client/user group with whom they must develop the basis of a problem to solve. They should liaise with their client/user group at all stages of the designing and manufacturing process in a commercial manner. They must take responsibility for planning, organising, managing, and evaluating their own work. D&T staff are allowed to advise but are not allowed to take responsibility for the work. Disorganised pupils find this aspect of the course extremely difficult. The coursework project is internally marked and externally moderated.

Visits to galleries, museums and local industry form an essential part of this course. Pupils should be well motivated, have a strong interest in designing, modelling, making and evaluating products and have an interest in the processes and products of design and technological activity.

Design & Technology has proved to be a very popular and rewarding subject at A level. Many pupils have achieved top grades and have gone on to study a wide range of related courses at university, including Product Design, Industrial Design, Engineering and Architecture. Other pupils have used their excellent results to gain maximum UCAS points and have gone on to study a contrasting subject at university. We keep in close contact with many past pupils who are willing to discuss university course details with prospective A level candidates.

Examination Board: Edexcel
Specification: 9DT0

Mr J. Johnson – Head of Design & Technology