it curriculum statement

Programme of Study – 2004/5

The programme of study for years 7, 8 and 9 is listed below. Detailed descriptions of the work to be covered are included in the individual project handbooks issued to pupils at the start of each project. These handbooks are too bulky for inclusion in this document but are freely available from the racks outside the design centre office.

Year 7.

Three ten week projects.

1. Mechanisms ( cams practical )
2. Metals ( bracket practical )
3. Photoshop ( computer based graphics )

Year 8.

Three ten week projects.

1. Computer aided design ( using PRO-DESKTOP software )
2. Paper, card and packaging ( includes practical tasks )
3. Plastics ( includes practical tasks )

Year 9.

Three ten week projects.

1. Timber ( “container” practical )
2. Photoshop ( computer based graphics )
3. Paper, card and packaging.

Some changes will be required in the following two years to ensure that all pupils will have covered the same projects by the end of year 9. These will be as follows;

Year 9. 2005/6. Structures project instead of paper and card.

Year 9. 2006/7. Electronics instead of structures.
Pagemaker or Publisher instead of Photoshop.

Year 10

The Design and Technology course follows AQA syllabus 3544H in Product Design.

Pupils work on practice projects during year 10 which count as 60% of the examination mark to reflect the actual GCSE mark scheme. They start the real GCSE major project in the Summer term to enable them to undertake some of the required research during the summer vacation. In addition to the project work, time is allocated to covering the theoretical background knowledge needed for the written examination. Much of this knowledge is, however, acquired through the practical project work.

Year 11

Pupils return from vacation with a large part of the project groundwork already done and immediately start on making their project. February half term is the target for completion of both portfolio and practical outcome.
After half term, slower pupils can complete their practical work in their own time ( workshop facilities are made available ) and the whole project must be ready for submission to the examination board by the Easter holiday. This project counts for 60% of the total GCSE mark. The portfolio should consist of about 20 A3 size pages filled with detailed information using a range of presentation skills and assembled on the computer.
Lessons after the February half term are devoted to preparation for the written examination.

Lower Sixth

The Design and Technology course follows AQA syllabus 5551 for an AS in Product Design ( 3D Design ).

Pupils work for four lessons per week on a design and make project which is worth 40% of the AS mark. Typically, the lessons are used for computer and practical work, and the homeworks for planning and preparing the design portfolio. Four lessons per week are devoted to preparing for the two examination papers; one of which is based on materials, components and manufacturing techniques and the other is aimed to test their ability to come up with several solutions to a design problem and develop them to a working solution in a 90 minute examination.

Upper Sixth
The design and Technology course follows AQA syllabus 6551 for an A level in Product Design ( 3D Design ).

Three modules make up the final year’s work for the A level. One is a more advanced design and make project worth 40% of the final A level mark. A second coursework module involves the study of a real product or process which is described and analysed in a 2000 word paper. This is worth 30% of the total mark. The third module in the year is a synoptic examination paper which aims to test the candidates’ wider knowledge and is based on all the work done in the AS and A2 years.

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