Design and Technology

KS4 Parental Guide

A GCSE course in Design and Technology offers an opportunity for candidates to identify and solve real problems by designing and making products or systems in a wide range of contexts relating to their personal interests. As a fundamental part of their course, candidates should design and make products.

Design and Technology develops candidates’ interdisciplinary skills, all six of the key skills, and their capacity for imaginative, innovative thinking, creativity and independence. During Key Stage three, pupils will have experienced all of the Design and Technology Disciplines. At Key Stage four, they are able to choose and concentrate on just one focus area for the two GCSE years.

Food and Nutrition

  • Click here for the Food and Nutrition GCSE
  • The course is split into 6 commodities;
  • Fruit and Vegetables,
  • Milk, cheese and yoghurt,
  • Cereals, breads,
  • Meat, fish and poultry,
  • Butter, oils, margarine and sugar,
  • Beans, nuts seeds and soya. For each of the commodities, pupils will have to explore how each is grown, reared, processed. Nutritional values and food science is also included in this.

Product Design

  • Click here for the WJEC syllabus
  • This course is based upon how we as consumers go about designing, making, and evaluating products to enhance our lives. The course is based upon a number of skills including the use of designing and developing in sketchbooks, modelling and CAD/CAM.

Resistant Materials Technology

  • Click here for the Edexcel course syllabus.
  • Investigate and produce a product made from either Wood, Metal or Plastic or a combination of these materials. An understanding of the influences and demands that affect the design and production of resistant material products.

Textiles Technology

  • Click here for the  WJEC course syllabus.
  • Investigating and producing contemporary textile products from a combination of different materials. An understanding of the influences and demands that affect the design and production of a textile product.

Parents can assist their children by:

  • Showing an interest in the work they are doing in Design and Technology – the subject has changed massively since you were in school!
  • Students will have regular homework. This is likely to be a continuation of the theory work that underpins the course.
  • At various times throughout the course there will be preparation work for the CAT. It is vital that this is completed to the deadline if full potential is to be reached!
  • Following us on Twitter @penyrheoldt for updates
  • Keep checking back to our blog for regular updates on deadlines etc