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Design and Technology

Introduction to Department:  

Design and Technology encourages students to become creative, confident and responsible designers who can respond to real-world problems. Through practical work and design projects, pupils develop an understanding of materials, processes and manufacturing techniques while learning how products are designed and made. 

At Key Stage 3, pupils build core skills through investigating, designing, making and evaluating products. They learn to work safely with a range of tools and materials while developing an understanding of key technical principles. Students also analyse existing products to inform their own designs and explore how cultural and historical influences shape design. 

Students may choose to continue their studies at GCSE, following the AQA Design and Technology specification. The course deepens technical knowledge and practical capability through the iterative design process, including research, modelling, testing and evaluation. Pupils complete an independent design and manufacture project alongside a written examination, each contributing 50% of the final GCSE grade. 

Design and Technology develops creativity, resilience and problem-solving skills. By the time students complete their journey in the subject they will have gained practical skills and design thinking that support further study and everyday problem solving. 

GCSE DT Projects

Results & Achievements: 

Last year, year 10 students had the opportunity to partake in a Design and Technology Rotary competition and won 2 of the three categories against other schools in the area. We hope to be sending some more teams along to compete this year.

Recommended reading list:  

Suitable for all years 

  • Technical Drawing Workbook: 70+ Isometric & Orthographic Projections for Aspiring Engineers - 3Demac   
  • Learn to Draw: 3D isometric stuff: technical drawing activity book – Herbert publishing   
  • Structures – or Why Things Don't Fall Down – JE Gordon 
  • Cats' Paws and Catapults: Mechanical Worlds of Nature and People - Steven Vogel  
  • The design thinking playbook - Michael Lewrick, Patrick Link, Larry Leifer 

GCSE 

  • GCSE Design & Technology AQA Complete Revision & Practice (with Online Edition and Quizzes) – CGP 
  • 101 things I learned in Product Design School – Sung Jang and Martin Thaler 
  • The Lean Product Lifecycle – Tendayi Viki, Craig Strong and Sonja Kresojevic 
  • The Essential Engineer: Why Science Alone Will Not Solve Our Global Problems 
  • The Measure of Man and Woman: Human Factors in Design - Alvin R. Tilley and Henry Dreyfuss Associates 
  • Invention by Design – How Engineers get from Thought to Thing – Henry Petroski 
  • To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design – Henry Petroski 
  • Engineering: A Beginner’s Guide – Natasha McCarthy 

GCSE Course support 

  • The DT Online website provides a useful glossary and revision resource for GCSE Design and Technology students. Excellent revision resource

Learning by Key Stage  

KS3 

At Key Stage 3 pupils work in specialist Design & Technology workshops to develop core practical skills and technical understanding. 

Students complete a range of projects based around a design brief, following the full design process from research and idea generation through to manufacturing and evaluation. Projects are regularly updated to reflect developments in technology and to ensure pupils gain experience with a wide variety of materials and techniques. 

Example KS3 projects include: 

  • Gravity Racer – a wooden miniature car introducing workshop tools and basic manufacturing processes. 
  • Phone Holder – a plastics project incorporating computer-aided design and the development of a personalised logo. 
  • Microbit Buggy Programming – an introduction to systems and control through programming and electronics. 
  • Maze Game – a project combining computer-aided design and hand-making techniques to produce a ball-bearing maze. 
  • Food Technology – an introduction to food preparation, nutrition and safe kitchen practice. 
  • Design Movement Clocks – exploring design movements to inform the creation of a personalised analogue clock. 
  • Mechanical Toy – a traditional woodworking project focusing on mechanisms and movement. 

KS4 

Students who choose to continue their studies follow the AQA: Design and Technology  course. 

The course builds upon the skills developed at Key Stage 3 and places greater emphasis on independent decision making and problem solving. Pupils develop their ability to work with a range of materials including wood, metal and plastics while studying the theory that underpins design and manufacturing. 

Students are encouraged to develop their own ideas through research and experimentation, producing work that reflects their individual design decisions. 

The course is assessed through two components: 

Component 1 – Written Examination (50%) 

A two-hour written exam consisting of three sections: 

Section A – Core Technical Principles (20 marks) 

Multiple choice and short-answer questions assessing technical knowledge. 

Section B – Specialist Technical Principles (30 marks) 

Short-answer and extended-response questions exploring more detailed technical understanding. 

Section C – Designing and Making Principles (50 marks) 

Questions assessing knowledge of the design process and practical application. 

Component 2 – Non-Examination Assessment (NEA) (50%) 

Students complete an independent design and manufacture project based on a contextual challenge set by AQA. 

The project typically requires 30–40 hours of lesson time, alongside additional independent work. Students produce a design portfolio and a final manufactured product. 

Assessment focuses on three areas: 

  • AO1 – Identifying and investigating design possibilities 
  • AO2 – Designing and making prototypes 
  • AO3 – Analysing and evaluating design decisions and outcomes 

KS5 

Design and Technology is not currently offered as a standalone Key Stage 5 course. The technical knowledge, creativity and problem-solving skills developed through GCSE nevertheless provide an excellent foundation for further study in Engineering, Product Design, Architecture and related fields. 

Staff

Head of Department:  Hollie Lavelle: hrl@bws-school.org.uk 

Teachers of:  

Technician: 

Bev Peach: brp@bws-school.org.uk 

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