Students who choose to study Design Technology will prepare themselves to contribute to an ever increasingly technological world.  Students will get the opportunity to work creatively when designing and also develop technical and practical expertise. The exam board studied at GCSE is AQA Design Technology.

Year 10

Year ten is where the students amalgamate all the skills that they have learnt within key stage three and apply this knowledge to the range of practical and skill based projects.  

Project 1: Iterative design / sketching and drawing

Students will begin the year learning how to sketch / draw and how to render their designs.  They will learn how to develop a concept design into a 3d Model using a range of materials and 3D Printing techniques. Quickly moving on to modelling techniques and developing their own ideas as a prototype. 

They will begin the year looking at iterative designs and modelling techniques.  There are to refine practical skills and developing the complexity of a design and build project.

Design Technology Specification. 3.1.1 New and emerging technologies

Project 2: Systems and Control

Students will then look at how electrical circuits are implemented within everyday life, and how the systems and control process is influenced by Input-Process-Output.  They will learn how to independently, operate the laser cutter, and how to wire a pre-manufactured circuit board.

Design Technology Specification. 3.1.4 Systems approach to designing

Project 3: Metal work

Students will learn about the categorisation and properties of materials from the raw source to the stock form.  Within Thornleigh pupils will have the opportunity to use the brazing hearth gas torch whilst developing a project that uses the low melt metal Pewter. Students will learn the physical properties of materials related to use and knowledge applied when designing and making.

Design Technology Specification. 3.1.6 Materials and their working properties

Project 4: Flat Pack Furniture:  Using the skills that they have accumulated over the year, the students will partake in a focused practical task. Pupils will be guided on how to develop a portfolio. (In lines with the year 10 and 11 NEA examples).  Students will then develop their own flat pack furniture influenced by a range of differing designers.

Design Technology Specification. 3.2.1 Selection of materials or components

Year 11

Year eleven students will be required to develop a NEA GCSE portfolio based on an exam board theme.  

They are to follow the GCSE examiners brief and complete a range of pages to demonstrate their ability to follow a design brief.  Students will be expected to manufacture their product using a variety of techniques from laser cutting, 3D printing to hand manufacturing of parts of the project. 

As this aspect of the course is 50% of their overall grade, it is important to be resilient and to invest as much time and effort within the allocated examination time.  Students will also sit their GCSE exam in May and this will be the remaining 50% of their course grade.  Students are to take every opportunity to use the Design Technology revision guides in order to enhance their grades further and gain a successful GCSE grade.