Design Technology
Subject Introduction
The intent of the Design and Technology curriculum is to equip pupils with the creative, technical, and practical expertise needed to participate confidently in an increasingly technological world.
It aims to develop resilience, problem-solving skills, and innovation by encouraging pupils to think independently and take risks when exploring design challenges. Through a broad and balanced range of projects, pupils will learn to design and make high-quality products that solve real and relevant problems in a variety of contexts.
The curriculum nurtures curiosity and creativity, ensuring that pupils are able to combine knowledge, skills, and imagination effectively. Pupils will develop a secure understanding of materials, processes, and tools, and learn how to apply them appropriately for different design purposes. There is a strong focus on sustainability and ethical design, helping pupils to make informed choices and consider the environmental and social impact of their decisions. The curriculum promotes cross-curricular links, particularly with mathematics, science, art, and computing, to show how learning connects in meaningful ways.
Pupils will be encouraged to evaluate and refine their ideas and products, learning from mistakes as an essential part of the design process. Through the study of past and present designers, engineers, and innovators, pupils will gain cultural capital and an appreciation of how design influences and shapes our lives. Practical making skills are balanced with theoretical knowledge, ensuring pupils develop both hands-on competence and critical thinking.
The curriculum also builds teamwork, communication, and project management skills through collaborative design challenges. Opportunities are provided to explore modern technologies such as CAD, 3D printing, and digital prototyping, preparing pupils for the world of work and further study.
Pupils will be supported to become resourceful, enterprising individuals who can respond to changing needs and opportunities. Ultimately, the intent of the Design and Technology curriculum is to inspire the next generation of designers, engineers, and creative thinkers who are ready to contribute positively to society.
Design Technology: Meet the Needs of the National Curriculum
The Design and Technology curriculum is planned to fully meet the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum. It provides a balance of designing, making, and evaluating, alongside the teaching of technical knowledge and practical skills. Pupils are taught to use creativity and imagination to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems. The curriculum ensures progression in knowledge and skills, from early exploration of materials to complex design challenges.
It develops pupils’ understanding of structures, mechanisms, textiles, electronics, and food technology, as outlined in the National Curriculum. Strong links with mathematics, science, computing, and art are embedded to reinforce cross-curricular learning. Pupils are taught how to evaluate past and present design and technology, understanding its impact on daily life and the wider world.
The curriculum also emphasises sustainability, preparing pupils to make responsible design choices in line with modern expectations. Practical work is balanced with theoretical knowledge, ensuring pupils gain confidence in both making and problem-solving.
Food and nutrition are included, ensuring pupils understand how to prepare and cook healthy dishes safely. The curriculum builds resilience, independence, and teamwork, preparing pupils for the challenges of modern society.
Ultimately, it provides pupils with the skills, knowledge, and cultural awareness required by the National Curriculum, inspiring them to innovate and create.
Design Technology: Education for All
The Design and Technology curriculum is intended to be inclusive, ensuring that every learner, regardless of ability, background, or need, can access and succeed in the subject. It provides opportunities for all pupils to develop practical skills, creativity, and problem-solving in ways that are meaningful and relevant to their lives. Lessons are designed to be engaging, differentiated, and supportive, removing barriers so that every child can participate fully.
The curriculum promotes equity by valuing diverse ideas, perspectives, and cultural influences in design and innovation. Pupils are encouraged to explore a wide range of tools, materials, and technologies, ensuring accessibility for learners with different strengths and needs. Through teamwork and collaboration, pupils develop communication, empathy, and respect for others’ contributions.
The curriculum builds confidence and resilience, allowing pupils to learn from mistakes in a safe and supportive environment. It ensures that pupils understand how design impacts society and how inclusive design benefits all people. Adaptations and scaffolds are provided so that SEND and disadvantaged learners can thrive alongside their peers.
High expectations are set for every pupil, challenging them to reach their full potential. The curriculum also fosters ambition, showing all learners that they can become future designers, makers, and innovators. Ultimately, Design and Technology education is for everyone, inspiring all pupils to contribute positively to a diverse and ever-changing world.
Design Technology: Citizens for the Future
The National Curriculum for Design and Technology prepares pupils to become creative, resourceful, and responsible citizens. By engaging in problem-solving, it encourages pupils to think critically about the needs of society and how products and systems can improve quality of life. It develops resilience, independence, and adaptability – essential skills for a rapidly changing world.
The focus on sustainability and responsible use of materials helps pupils to understand their role in protecting the environment and making ethical choices. Through food and nutrition, pupils learn the importance of healthy living and how personal choices affect wellbeing and society. The curriculum also promotes innovation, equipping pupils to contribute positively to industries, economies, and communities in the future. Collaborative projects foster teamwork, empathy, and respect for others’ perspectives, which are vital qualities of active citizens.
By studying past and present designers, pupils develop cultural awareness and an understanding of how design shapes the world around them. The use of modern technologies, such as digital design and electronics, ensures pupils are prepared for the demands of future workplaces. Ultimately, the National Curriculum for Design and Technology nurtures learners who are not only skilled makers and thinkers but also responsible, thoughtful individuals ready to contribute to society.
SMSC
Students’ Social Moral Spiritual & Cultural is developed in the department in a number of ways. We believe that in educating our students to think about the impact of their designing and making on the environment and people. Sustainability and the clear understanding of how this is applied to designing new products are paramount if we are to protect the world’s natural resources.
Students are also expected to grow and develop a sense of social responsibility, mutual respect and care for each other through our teaching of behaviour self-regulation. We expect students to influence the behaviour of others around them by encouraging a confidence to challenge each other when standards fall below our collective expectations.
Mutual respect is engendered through the process of peer evaluation of each other’s work and standards. We empower students to take criticism positively and to articulate their views in a respectful and sensitive way. We support this through the celebration of human fallibility as a motivator to learn and succeed.
Spiritual development is of a very high importance in Design & Technology. The process of creative thinking and innovation inspires students to bring out undiscovered talents, which in turn breeds a self-confidence and belief in their abilities. It also challenges and appeals to the creative instincts that have driven humanity to discover, adapt and overcome. Within our schemes of work we seek to develop these.
In Design & Technology we seek to develop a sense of ‘moral conscience’ in our students, through focusing upon the moral dilemmas raised in designing and making new products. We teach students to understand the wider impacts on the environment when designing and making new products and expect them to consider carefully the materials & components they will use when designing and making. We encourage sustainable thinking through the active application of the ‘6 R’s’ and to highlight the impact on environmentally sensitive areas of the world.
Social development is a key feature of all Design & Technology lessons. We teach the concept of self-regulation to ensure that students accept responsibility for their behaviour and the safety of others. We encourage students to give each other reminders when standards fall short of the collective expectation.
This establishes and maintains a safe, secure, learning environment. We place an emphasis on developing the ability to work with other and to accept each other’s unique personality. We encourage effective conversations about the work we do through self & peer evaluation, and to give and accept constructive criticism as a vehicle to improve students learning outcomes.
We develop wider cultural awareness in Design & Technology through projects that have a connection with our past heritage and how our industrial routes have shaped our nation. We seek to expand student’s knowledge of other cultures influences on design and manufacture including an increasing awareness of the influences digital manufacturing developments from other countries is having on the designing and making of products that we use.
Building on the KS2 Curriculum
At KS2, pupils are introduced to the foundations of Design and Technology: they learn to investigate, design, make, and evaluate simple products. They explore a variety of materials, learn basic practical skills, and begin to understand the principles of structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems, and nutrition. The emphasis is on developing curiosity, creativity, and the ability to apply basic knowledge in practical contexts.
At KS3, the National Curriculum builds on this foundation by deepening and broadening pupils’ knowledge and skills. Projects become more complex, requiring pupils to work with a wider range of materials, tools, and digital technologies, including CAD and CAM. They are expected to apply mathematical and scientific knowledge more explicitly in their designs and problem-solving.
Pupils also develop a stronger awareness of social, moral, and environmental factors in design, linking learning to real-world issues such as sustainability and technological innovation.
While KS2 focuses on building confidence and introducing core concepts, KS3 advances this by challenging pupils to take greater ownership of the design process, justify their decisions, and evaluate the impact of their work in wider contexts. The progression ensures pupils are prepared for KS4 and beyond, with the creativity, technical skills, and resilience needed to become innovative thinkers and problem-solvers.
Key Stage 3
Subject Intent
Purpose
Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.
Aims
The national curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils:
- develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
- build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
- critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
- understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.
Attainment Targets
By the end of Key Stage 3, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the programme of study.
(Schools are not required by law to teach the example content)
Subject content Key Stage 3 Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. They should work in a range of domestic and local contexts [for example, the home, health, leisure and culture], and industrial contexts [for example, engineering, manufacturing, construction, food, energy, agriculture (including horticulture) and fashion].
When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:
Design
- use research and exploration, such as the study of different cultures, to identify and understand user needs
- identify and solve their own design problems and understand how to reformulate problems given to them
- develop specifications to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that respond to needs in a variety of situations
- use a variety of approaches [for example, biomimicry and user-centred design], to generate creative ideas and avoid stereotypical responses
- develop and communicate design ideas using annotated sketches, detailed plans, 3-D and mathematical modelling, oral and digital presentations and computer-based tools
Make
- select from and use specialist tools, techniques, processes, equipment and machinery precisely, including computer-aided manufacture
- select from and use a wider, more complex range of materials, components and ingredients, taking into account their properties Evaluate
- analyse the work of past and present professionals and others to develop and broaden their understanding
- investigate new and emerging technologies
- test, evaluate and refine their ideas and products against a specification, taking into account the views of intended users and other interested groups
- understand developments in design and technology, its impact on individuals, society and the environment, and the responsibilities of designers, engineers and technologists
Technical Knowledge
- understand and use the properties of materials and the performance of structural elements to achieve functioning solutions
- understand how more advanced mechanical systems used in their products enable changes in movement and force
- understand how more advanced electrical and electronic systems can be powered and used in their products [for example, circuits with heat, light, sound and movement as inputs and outputs]
- apply computing and use electronics to embed intelligence in products that respond to inputs [for example, sensors], and control outputs [for example, actuators], using programmable components [for example, microcontrollers].
Teaching and Learning
Explanations
When teaching Design and Technology (D&T) at KS3, the best way to explain the national curriculum is to frame it around the idea of problem-solving through creativity and making. Emphasise that students will learn how to design and create products that are useful, appealing, and sustainable by combining practical skills with an understanding of materials, tools, and new technologies. Highlight that the subject is not just about making things, but also about thinking like designers—researching, testing, evaluating, and improving ideas. This helps students see the bigger picture of D&T as a blend of creativity, technical knowledge, and critical thinking.
It also helps to link the curriculum aims to real-life applications. Explain that students will be preparing for the future by learning how everyday objects are designed and manufactured, exploring innovations in areas like food, textiles, engineering, and digital technologies. Show them that D&T connects to careers and industries while also developing transferable skills such as teamwork, resilience, and problem-solving. By keeping the explanation practical, relevant, and inspiring, students can easily grasp the purpose and value of the subject.
Modelling
When a teacher models an example in KS3 Design and Technology, they bring the national curriculum to life by showing the process of design thinking in action. For instance, rather than just telling students to “design a phone stand,” the teacher might think aloud while sketching ideas, explaining how they consider user needs, materials, and sustainability. This demonstrates the iterative cycle of designing - research, generating ideas, testing, and evaluating - making the curriculum’s aims visible and concrete.
By modelling, teachers also show practical skills in context, such as using tools safely, applying accurate measurements, or testing prototypes. This not only illustrates technical knowledge but also embeds problem-solving and critical reflection, which are central to the curriculum. In short, modelling acts as a bridge: it translates the abstract aims of the national curriculum into a step-by-step process that students can observe, understand, and then try for themselves.
Here are some practical examples of modelling for KS3 Design and Technology:
- Sketching and idea generation: A teacher draws quick sketches of a desk tidy on the board, narrating their thought process: “I want it to hold pens but also look modern. I’ll start with a simple block shape, but maybe I could cut angles to make it more interesting.” This shows students how to brainstorm and refine ideas visually.
- Demonstrating tools and techniques: While making a wooden box, the teacher carefully measures, marks, and cuts a piece of wood, explaining why accuracy matters and how to hold tools safely. Students see not just what to do, but how and why.
- Testing and evaluating prototypes: The teacher places weight on a cardboard bridge they’ve made, showing how it bends or collapses. They explain how to record observations and suggest improvements, modelling the iterative design cycle in action.
- Modelling food preparation: In a food technology lesson, the teacher demonstrates making a stir fry, highlighting nutritional choices, safe knife skills, and timing. This integrates both practical competence and curriculum aims around healthy eating.
Questioning
In Design and Technology, teachers use questioning as a tool to encourage pupils to think more deeply, make connections, and take ownership of their learning. Instead of simply asking for the “right answer,” effective questioning prompts students to explain their reasoning, reflect on choices, and consider alternatives.
For example, open-ended questions such as “Why did you choose that material?” or “How might your design change if it needed to be waterproof?” help pupils articulate their thinking and evaluate decisions, which directly builds the problem-solving and critical reflection skills the curriculum emphasises.
Questioning is also used to scaffold learning by guiding pupils through the design process step by step. A teacher might ask, “What problem are you trying to solve?” (defining the task), “What does your user need?” (empathy and research), or “How will you test whether your idea works?” (evaluation).
This encourages pupils to engage with the iterative nature of design rather than rushing to a finished product. By mixing probing questions with “what if” scenarios, teachers enhance curiosity and resilience, helping students see mistakes as opportunities to learn and refine their ideas.
Marking and Feedback
Effective marking and feedback bridge the gap between a student's current performance and their learning goals. In DT, this is particularly important for several reasons:
DT involves a design-make-evaluate cycle. Feedback is essential at every stage, helping students:
1. The Iterative Design Process
Design: Refine ideas, justify choices, and connect them to user needs and research.
Make: Correct practical errors, improve techniques, and ensure safe working practices in the moment.
Evaluate: Critically reflect on the final product and process, identifying how future work can be improved. This "feeding forward" is crucial in DT.
2. Skill Development and Refinement
DT is a highly skill-based subject (e.g., measuring, cutting, joining, technical drawing).
- Immediate verbal feedback during practical tasks is often the most effective way to correct poor technique or prevent a potential error (like a safety hazard) before it's too late, directly improving the quality of the final outcome.
- Feedback helps students develop metacognition (thinking about their learning) and self-regulation, which are key to becoming independent and self-reflective designers.
3. Knowledge and Understanding
Feedback ensures students acquire and apply technical knowledge (e.g., properties of materials, manufacturing processes) and subject-specific vocabulary.
- It addresses misconceptions in technical theory, which is foundational for successful practical application.
4. Motivation and Resilience
The process of designing and making can be challenging, involving setbacks and failures (prototyping).
- Encouraging, balanced feedback (praise and constructive criticism) is important for maintaining motivation and building resilience, teaching students that mistakes are part of the learning process.
Examples of Good Practice in KS3 DT Marking and Feedback
Good practice focuses on providing timely, specific, and actionable feedback that is manageable for teachers and meaningful for students.
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Area of Practice |
Good Practice Example |
Rationale/Benefit |
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Verbal Feedback (VF) |
Live feedback during practical tasks: "That cut isn't quite square.
Remember to keep your eye directly over the pencil line to avoid parallax error. Try it again on a piece of scrap material first."
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Immediate correction prevents wasted material and time. VF is highly effective in practical subjects, making it timely and actionable.
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Peer/Self-Assessment |
Students use a 'Success Criteria' checklist with specific DT terms (e.g., "The joint is flush," "The electronic circuit is soldered neatly") to assess a partner's or their own design work or practical skill. |
Promotes independence and a deeper understanding of quality standards. Reduces teacher workload while providing instant feedback. |
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Use Whole-Class Feedback (, focusing on 2-3 common misconceptions or areas of excellence from a class set of design folders. |
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Feedback Response Time |
Implement dedicated 'DIRT' (Dedicated Improvement and Reflection Time) in lessons. Students respond to written or verbal targets using a different coloured pen/font, often by re-drafting a section of work or re-doing a technical skill. |
Ensures students act on the feedback, 'closing the loop' on the learning process. Feedback is useless if it's not acted upon. |
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Modelling/Exemplars |
Displaying anonymised examples of excellent, good, and developing work against the project specification. Ask students to mark and suggest improvements on the "developing" example |
Makes abstract quality standards tangible and transparent. Provides a clear visual goal for all students to aim for. |
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Target Setting |
Feedback should always include a "What I need to do next" (WINTDN) or "Even Better If" (EBI) statement that is directly applicable to the next stage of the current project or a future project. |
Ensures feedback is goal-referenced and drives accelerated progress across the KS3 curriculum. |
Long Term Memory
The most effective teaching and learning strategies for boosting long-term memory in KS3 Design and Technology (DT) are rooted in cognitive science principles: Retrieval Practice, Spaced Practice, Interleaving, and Deep Encoding.
These strategies are essential in DT because they ensure students don't just complete a project but also remember and apply the underlying technical knowledge, processes, and skills in future projects.
Retrieval Practice (Recalling Knowledge)
Retrieval practice is the act of deliberately recalling information from memory, which strengthens the memory trace and makes it easier to recall in the future.
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Strategy |
DT Example of Good Practice |
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"Do Now" Low-Stakes Quizzes |
Start every lesson with 3-5 questions on material from last lesson, last week, and last term. Example: "What is a tensile force?" (Last week), "Name two properties of thermosetting polymers." (Last term), "What is the purpose of a design brief?" (Previous unit). |
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Brain Dumps/Free Recall |
At the start or end of a theory lesson, ask students to write down everything they can remember about a specific topic from memory. Example: "Write down everything you know about sustainability in product design." |
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Blank Diagram Labelling |
Provide a blank diagram of a piece of equipment (e.g., the parts of a pillar drill, a cutting list for timber, or layers of a smart material) and have students label it from memory. |
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Self-Quizzing & Flashcards |
Encourage students to create flashcards for key Tier 3 technical vocabulary (e.g., Ergonomics, Aesthetics, Batch Production) and quiz themselves or their partner. |
Spaced Practice & Interleaving (Timing and Mixing Content)
Spaced Practice involves revisiting content over increasing intervals of time, preventing cramming. Interleaving involves mixing different topics during one study period, which helps students distinguish between concepts.
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Strategy |
DT Example of Good Practice |
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Cumulative Review |
Ensure homework or revision sheets contain content from the current topic, the previous topic, and a topic from several months ago. |
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Successive Relearning |
Revisit key safety or process skills at regular, expanding intervals. Example: Re-test on the safe use of the disc sander in the following rotation to ensure knowledge hasn't decayed. |
3. Deep Encoding (Making Learning Meaningful)
Deep encoding is about processing information by connecting it to what a student already knows and relating it to real-world context, which creates stronger, more memorable links in the brain.
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Strategy |
DT Example of Good Practice |
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Elaboration & Justification |
Always require students to explain why something works or how their design choice links to user needs, rather than just stating the facts. Example: "Why did you choose MDF over pine for this part?" (Answer must elaborate on properties and cost). |
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Dual Coding |
Combine words and visuals when teaching technical content. Example: When learning about Computer Aided Design (CAD), use clear diagrams of the software interface (visual) alongside definitions and instructions (verbal). |
Homework
- Reinforce learning and practice skills taught in class.
- Encourage independent learning and time management.
- Prepare students for upcoming lessons.
- Extend learning through research and creative thinking.
2. Homework Expectations by Year Group
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Key Stage |
Homework frequency (core subjects at KS3 and KS4) |
Homework frequency (all other subjects) |
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KS3 |
One per week (up to 30 mins long) |
One per fortnight (up to 30 mins long) |
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KS4 |
One per week (30 - 45 minutes long) |
One per week (up to 30 mins long) |
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KS5 |
At least one per teacher per week (45–60 minutes long) |
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3. Types of Homework
- Practice exercises (e.g., maths problems, factual recall,spellings)
- Reading assignments
- Projects or presentations
- Revision and exam preparation
- Research tasks
- Online quizzes or interactive learning
4. Student Responsibilities
- Record homework in their planner.
- Complete and submit homework on time.
- Seek help when needed.
- Make sure homework is their own and not copied or plagiarised.
5. Teacher Responsibilities
- Assign meaningful and relevant homework on class charts.
- Ensure instructions are clear and deadlines are realistic (e.g. at least two nights to complete)
- Provide feedback in a timely manner.
- Consider students’ workloads and individual learning needs.
6. Parental Role
- Provide a quiet space and encourage a routine.
- Support without doing the work for the student.
- Communicate concerns with the teacher if necessary.
7. Submission and Deadlines
- Homework is due on the assigned date unless prior arrangement is made.
- Late submissions may incur penalties unless due to valid reasons (e.g., illness).
8. Feedback and Assessment
- Homework may contribute to formative or summative assessments.
- Feedback should guide improvement, not grade performance.
9. Special Considerations
- Students with SEND or EAL may receive adjusted tasks.
- Homework should not interfere with students’ mental health or extracurricular commitments
KS3 Overview
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Year Group |
Project |
KS3 Curriculum Links |
KS4 Links |
Key Learning |
Keywords |
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Year 7 |
Systems and control / Forces |
3.2.1 |
Forces and stresses |
Movement, Mechanism, Levers |
Compression, bending, torsion, shear, rotary, input, process, output, linear, reciprocal, rotation, oscilation, scroll saw, pillar drill, lever, linkages, split pins, machine safety |
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Animal Pegs |
3.1.1 |
Prototype Development |
Biomimicry |
Endangered, sustainable, natural, man made, brief, specification, testing and evaluating, scroll saw, disk sander, pillar drill, needle file, sand paper |
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LED Keyring |
3 |
Prototype development |
Design Brief |
LED, CAD, CAM, Battery, Power Supply, Acrylic, Thermoplastic, positive, negative, pre-manufactured, binding screws, design movement, design movement |
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Year Group |
Project |
KS3 Curriculum Links |
KS4 Links |
Key Learning |
Keywords |
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Year 8 |
Pixar |
3.1.4 |
Materials and working properties |
Systems approach to designing |
Thermosetting, thermoforming, kevlar, graphene, polymer, environment, transistor, resistor, thermochromic, design brief, bioplastic, shape memory alloy |
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Designers and Architecture |
3 |
User centred design |
User Centred Design |
Ethics, SCAMPER, analysis, fasion designer, product designer, create, quality assurance, specification, iterative, client, access fm, aesthetic, Design brief, specification, architect, analysis, biomimicry, iterative, creative, evaluate, concept, peer assess, annotate, critical, scruffiti, jackstraw |
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Memory Box |
3 |
Sources and origins |
Sources and Origins |
Tenon saw, memory box, vice, try square, steel rule, marking guage, template, grain, disk sander, tolerance, deciduous, coniferous |
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Year Group |
Project |
KS3 Curriculum Links |
KS4 Links |
Key Learning |
Keywords |
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Year 9 |
Grand Designs |
3 |
The work of others |
Materials and Their Working Properties |
Architecture, area, perimeter, De Stijl, enterprise, crowd funding, CAD, social footprint, planned obsolescence, design ethics, sustainability, eco friendly |
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Memphis Clocks |
3 |
Material categories |
Material Categories |
Thermoplastic, thermosetting plastic, elastomer, line bending, aesthetics, design movement, mechanism, liquid solvent cement, tolerance, specification, gears, acrylic |
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Magical Dehumidifiers |
3 |
Electronic Systems |
Material Categories and Properties |
Humififier, Thermoplastic, Thermoset Plastic, Hardwood, Softwood, MDF, Plywood, Dovetail Joint, Mortice and Tenon, Epoxy, Stock Forms, Manufactured Boards |
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Key Stage 4
Subject Intent
WHAT DOES THE QUALIFICATION COVER?
The Tech Award gives learners the opportunity to develop sector-specific applied knowledge and skills through realistic vocational contexts. Learners will have the opportunity to develop applied knowledge and practical skills in the following areas:
- Construction technology
- Construction in practice
- Construction and design
This Tech Award complements the learning in GCSE programmes such as GCSE Design and Technology by teaching additional and specific skills in either brickwork or carpentry and joinery, and by providing a more applied area of study when looking at the different types of technologies being used in a real-world setting for low-rise construction
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Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 Tech Award in Construction and the Built Environment |
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Component number |
Component title |
GLH |
Level |
How assessed |
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1 |
Construction Technology |
48 |
1/2 |
External |
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2 |
Construction in Practice |
48 |
1/2 |
Internal |
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3 |
Construction and Design |
36 |
1/2 |
Internal Synoptic |
Assessment
The three components in the qualification give learners the opportunity to develop broad knowledge and understanding of the construction and built environment sector, and specialist skills such as interpreting and designing a low-rise construction to a brief, construction of a practical outcome to specification and ensuring quality of outcome at Levels 1 and 2.
Internal assessment - Externally Moderated
Components 2 and 3 are assessed through non-exam internal assessment. The non exam internal assessment for these components has been designed to demonstrate application of the conceptual knowledge underpinning the sector through realistic tasks and activities. This style of assessment promotes deep learning through ensuring the connection between knowledge and practice. The components focus on:
- the acquisition of practical skills and techniques used in industry for safe working practices to create a practically constructed outcome to a specification in either brickwork or carpentry and joinery, and, quality control procedures to ensure an aesthetic, well-finished and accurate product
- the development and application of skills such as interpreting a brief to extract relevant information that will impact design ideas, principles of design, constraints of design, and sketching skills and techniques. Non-exam internal assessment is delivered through Pearson-set Assignments. These assignments are set by Pearson, marked by the centre and moderated by Pearson.
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Component |
Description of Pearson-set Assignment |
Window for assessment |
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Component 2: Construction in Practice |
Non-exam internal assessment set by Pearson, marked by the centre and moderated by Pearson. The Pearson-set Assignment will be completed in approximately 8 hours of supervised assessment. 60 marks. |
December/January and May/June |
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Component 3: Construction and Design |
Non-exam internal assessment set by Pearson, marked by the centre and moderated by Pearson. The Pearson-set Assignment will be completed in approximately 2 hours of monitored preparation and 6 hours of supervised assessment. 60 marks |
December/January and May/June |
External Assessment
There is one external assessment. Component 1: Construction Technology requires learners to understand the different areas of technology and the real-life application of these technologies in the UK and around the world. The design of this external assessment ensures that there is sufficient stretch and challenge. It is based on a key tasks that requires learners to demonstrate they can identify and use effectively an appropriate selection of skills, techniques, concepts, theories and knowledge.
The external assessment is taken under supervised conditions, which is then marked and a grade awarded by Pearson. Learners are permitted to resit the external assessment once during their programme by taking a new assessment. However, as this is the terminal assessment for the qualification, learners can only use the external assessment results achieved in the same assessment series in which they are requesting certification for the qualification. For the options around certification when learners are resitting, please refer to the Tech Awards section of the Pearson website. The external assessment comprises 40 percent of the total GLH of the qualification and is weighted accordingly in the calculation of the overall qualification grade. Please visit the Tech Awards section of the Pearson website for more information on certification, including certification deadlines.
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Component |
Description of external assessment |
Assessment |
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Component 1: Construction Technology |
External assessment set and marked by Pearson, completed under supervised conditions. The assessment will be completed in 1.5 hours within the period timetabled by Pearson. 60 marks. |
January/ February and May/June |
Progress
What can the qualification lead to? Study of the qualification as part of Key Stage 4 learning will help learners to make more informed choices for further learning, either generally or in this sector. The choices that learners can make post-16 will depend on their overall level of attainment and their performance in the qualification. Learners who generally achieve at Level 2 across their Key Stage 4 learning might consider progression to:
- A Levels as preparation for entry to higher education in a range of subjects
- Study of a vocational qualification at Level 3, such as a BTEC National in Construction and the Built Environment, which prepares learners to enter employment or apprenticeships, or to move on to higher education by studying a degree in the construction or engineering sectors
The construction industry is one of the UK’s most important sectors. In 2018 it employed, directly or indirectly, around 2.4 million people and accounted for £117 bn of the value to the UK economy. The range of jobs available is large, covering traditional craft trades, large civil engineering infrastructure projects, housebuilding, design and consultancy, and the professions such as architecture, management and surveying Study of this sector at Key Stage 4 will complement GCSE study through providing an opportunity for practical application alongside conceptual study. There are also strong opportunities for post-16 progression in this vital sector.
KS4 Overview: GCSE AQA Design Technology
GCSE Design Technology is an exciting qualification which brings learning to life. You will develop a realistic understanding of the working world as well as a range of practical skills and detailed knowledge about manufacturing, product design, Isometric, 3D and orthographic drawing with a major focus on Computer Aided Design. This will enable you to have the ability to then use the laser cutter and the 3D printer to aid you in manufacturing your design.
Course Content
This course involves exploring design problems, generating, developing and communicating design proposals, planning the manufacture of high quality three dimensional products and testing them to evaluate their success. You will be actively encouraged to produce ‘live’ portfolio briefs, where a genuine need or situation has been identified, explored, and overcome within the boundaries of this course. Where possible you should include input from an outside source e.g. manufacturer, designer or any other relevant sector of sales / industry. Design Technology is a good option to choose for someone who would like to build on their design and make skills. If you have skills within graphical design and good presentation abilities, via free hand drawing and Google Sketch Up you will enjoy this course. It is an additional bonus if you are able to communicate your ideas using a variety of media skills.
Assessment
Your assessment for GCSE Design Technology will be split in to the following main areas, design / making and an external examination. Your design theme will be set by the exam board but you will be able to influence this brief to make a 3D practical product that will be useful for everyday life. Your portfolio will include different design ideas and when the portfolio is combined with the making it will make up 50% of your total GCSE mark. The other 50% of your grade will be made up from an external examination which lasts for 2 hours.
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Paper 1 |
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What's assessed
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How it's assessed
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Questions Section A - Core technical principles (20 marks) A mixture of multiple choice and short answer questions assessing a breadth of technical knowledge and understanding. Section B - Specialist technical principles (30 marks) Several short answer questions (2–5 marks) and one extended response to assess a more in depth knowledge of technical principles. Section C - Designing and making principles (50 marks) A mixture of short answer and extended response questions. |
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Non-exam assessment (NEA) |
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What's assessed Practical application of:
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How it's assessed
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Task(s)
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Non-exam Assessment (NEA) |
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What's assessed Practical application of:
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How it's assessed
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Task(s)
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Progression
Higher Education institutions view the subject very favourably as it indicates curricular diversity and an ability to use a wide range of skills. If you study Design Technology you will be able to progress further into careers in engineering, design and architecture, graphic design etc. providing an excellent balance of creative studies with some of the more theoretical subjects offered.