What is the course about?
Do you enjoy watching the ‘Discovery’ Channel or programmes like ‘Scrapheap Challenge’? Do you think you could design better products? Do you want to know how things work?

The course builds on knowledge and skills acquired at GCSE.

Which skills and experience would be useful and essential?
We recommend that you have achieved at least a grade C in GCSE Design and Technology ‘Resistant Materials’ or ‘Graphical Communication’. Other areas that will be very useful are an interest in ICT, Science - especially Physics & Chemistry, Business Studies and Art.

How will I learn and be assessed?
In the ‘AS’ Year you will be involved in working on a project:-
• Where you explore and record how different systems in industry work and how they may be improved.
• Where you look at a product and show how you could improve a small part of it. You will be taught to use the 3D CAD software package – ‘ProDESKTOP’ to help with the modelling in this project.
• Your project work is presented as an A4 report and as an A3 design folder with models.
• Sit a 2 hour Theory examination on Design & Technology.
In the ‘A2’ Year you will:-
• Design a product of your own choice.
• Make the product that you designed (you will be encouraged to use CAD/CAM technology for part of or the entire practical).
• Sit a 2 ½ hour Theory and Design Examination

What opportunities are available to me?
Students in the past have achieved employment as:-Product designers, Industrial designers, Book illustrators, Marine Architects, Freelance Designers, Freelance Graphic Artists, Jewellery Designers, Careers in the Armed Forces.