Product Design

KEY STAGE 3

Students in Year 9 study all five aspects of Design Technology.  Two lessons per week are used to deliver Design Technology over a period of seven weeks on rotation.
KEY STAGE 4 

Product Design GCSE

This is a new course that we helped pilot.  The course requires students to learn how to design and make in a range of different materials including card, metal, plastic and wood.  Importantly, it also values innovation, giving students the opportunity to be really creative with their outcomes.  The course is the first of its kind to allow students to submit their design work entirely by email, while still giving the opportunity for other students to submit hand produced design work.

This is a single tiered course allowing students to achieve the full range of grades from A* - G and is made up of four units, each of which can be re-sat once:

  • Unit 1: Developing and Applying Design Skills - Candidates produce a Design Folio based on a range of possible starting points, ie 'Design a range of jewellery with a specific theme' (worth 30% of overall marks)
  • Unit 2: Innovation Challenge - A six hour examined design challenge, ie 'Design something to enable people to sit in the shade when on the beach' (worth 20% of overall marks)
  • Unit 3: Making, Testing and Marketing Products - Candidates produce a product and a marketing presentation based on the work they have done in either Unit 1 or Unit 2, ie 'Make  a range of jewellery with a specific theme' (worth 30% of overall marks)
  • Unit 4: Designing Influences - A one and a half hour exam with some questions based on a studied design icon, ie the London Underground Map (worth 20% of overall marks)

Work produced by students studying this course has been selected to appear in a new textbook for the course.