Course Code:
AQA Design and Technology A Level - 7552
Typical Entry Requirements:
6 in GCSE Design & Technology and a 5 in GCSE Maths
Career Possibilities:
The course is particularly useful to those wishing to go on to careers such as Product Design, Architecture, Automotive Design, Jewellery Design, Packaging Design and some engineering courses, as it combines creativity with a high level of technical understanding.
The Programme:
This exciting course looks at how everyday products have been designed and made. In the first year you will be introduced to the fundamentals in a range of material areas including: Timbers and Board, Metals and Alloys, Polymers and Composites. You will develop subject knowledge to understand their properties, uses and how they are manufactured in industry, alongside this you will also develop your practical skill with each material, using a range of tools, equipment and processes in our dedicate workshops and using our CAD/CAM facilities to create a range of high quality products.
For the final part of the course, and once you have acquired the required skills and subject knowledge, you will then follow the design process to design and make a high-quality product of your choice. you will carry out relevant research, consider your target audience’s needs to develop the appropriate final product, which you will manufacture and test.
A Level
Paper 1 - Written exam: 2.5 hours - 30% of A Level
What’s assessed;
Technical principles
(Mixture of short answer and extended response)
Paper 2 - Written exam: 1.5 hours - 20% of A Level
What’s assessed;
Designing and making principles
(Mixture of short answer and extended response questions)
Non-exam assessment (NEA) - 50% of A Level
What’s assessed;
Substantial design and make project
(Written or digital design portfolio and photographic evidence of final
prototype)
Why Study This Subject?:
This creative and thought-provoking qualification will give you the practical skills, theoretical knowledge and confidence to succeed in a number of careers. Especially those in the creative industries. You will investigate historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic influences on design and technology, whilst enjoying opportunities to put your learning into practice by producing prototypes of your choice. You will gain a real understanding of what it means to be a designer, alongside the knowledge and skills sought by higher education and employers in all areas of the design industry