With over 30 years leading D&T departments and 20 years moderation and examining experience, the author is the winner of the 2021 Design and Technology Excellence in D&T award for 'Innovation and Creativity'.
He has extensive experience as a curriculum consultant, resource producer, trainer and presenter, and as a commercial designer, visualiser and illustrator. He is also a prolific writer on the subject of D&T whose Subject Genius D&T blog was shortlisted in the 2016 TES awards.
With over 30 years leading D&T departments and 20 years moderation and examining experience, the author is the winner of the 2021 Design and Technology Excellence in D&T award for 'Innovation and Creativity'.
He has extensive experience as a curriculum consultant, resource producer, trainer and presenter, and as a commercial designer, visualiser and illustrator. He is also a prolific writer on the subject of D&T whose Subject Genius D&T blog was shortlisted in the 2016 TES awards.
UPDATE 2: This tracker has been updated to support just A Level D&T and has new featres added. This version remains for those still running AS Level D&T or who want access to this particualr version of the tracker. You can still edit the grade boundaries as long as the AS exam is still available.
UPDATE1 The May/June 2019 exams have been added so this is up to date and the grade boundaries have also been updated from the results on 15th August 2019.
An 8 page spreadsheet which tracks NEA progress and allows for mock and real examination analysis based on the AQA syllabus 7551 and 7552 but it can be adapted for other AO’s. It has been used to successfully predict final grades for many years and is a useful interactive tool to use in the classroom or during progression meetings. It uses a traffic light system to show weaker areas in performance and a look up table to predict final grades and to compare against targets.
A Level grade boundaries are not yet known but can be changed as needed. AS level boundaries from 2018 have been added to the AS tab.
This currently uses the standard 2/4 module boundaries for grades. This is for the new GCE syllabus with first AS exam in 2018. It has been updated June 2019 to allow up to 26 students on one sheet and looks up student name and number from the information tabs. Cells not needed to be edited are locked off but the password to unlock each sheet is ‘advanced’.
This PDF is intended as a guide for Advanced Level students to help them through their NEA tasks in AQA Product Design but much of the guide could be used for other specialisms. While similar in format to the GCSE guide available here, it does have A Level specific material and addresses all the Assessment Objectives for AS and A Level. It is ideal for giving to students in a digital format or as a printed phamplet style booklet to provide an easy to use and understand overview of the NEA.
UPDATE: April 2021 additional pages added to support the use of the Braille Box to teach about branding, IP, patents, crowdfunding, ecological footprint and more. Specification updated to match the new theory presentations that will soon be available.
This is my own take on what I believe a level 9 folder could look like for the new AQA GCSE in Design and Technology and was produced when no examplar material was avalable from examination boards. It is appropriate for the ‘children’s learning and play’ sample context and covers exploring a context, iterative design, prototyping and client led brief along with investigations, analysis and evaluations. Supplied as both self-running Powerpoint Show and printable PDF file, there are 40 slides in the folder as per the AQA suggested limit, each with a commentary and a summary at the end of each A0 as well as extra slides at the end to support the process. In total there are now 68 slides here but the extra slides are for the benefit of the teacher, or to explain and justify the marks awarded.**
There is evidence in the folder of SketchUp, Solidworks, Photoshop and the use of CNC equipment and 3D printing. It is not endorsed by any examination board but can inspire you in your approach to teaching the new NEA in your school to a very high standard.
I worked as an examiner and moderator for the AQA for 20 years with 27 years D&T teaching and leadership experience where many students achieved 100% for their coursework. This is based on that experience and a culmination of assessing thousands of folders coupled with industry design experience. Additionally, I have consulted for DATA, TES, V&A, Routledge, PGOnline, Doddle and the BBC.
Recent additions (July 2018) include 16 extra slides to show a summary of modelling, drawing, CAD etc. and further development of the product beyond the GCSE prototype into AS/A Level territory with the outcome being a completely 3D printed prototype. August 2018 update simply adds some extra info.
This booklet is supplied in Powerpoint format and contains a range of generic sheets which can be used to produce unique design booklets for students rather than providing them with numerous blank paper or worksheet. The advantage of using booklets, aside from keeping the worksheets together, is that students take responsibility for their work and can personalise the projects. Use this with the Key Stage 3 tracking spreadsheet available separately as a way of planning and monitoring progress throughout Key Stage 3 and the booklets will form a record of learning at the end of the Key Stage.
This is a generic booklet but many of the text areas are editable so you can customise it to suit your needs. A range of more specific sheets will be made available in packs so you can have a ready made scheme of work or mix and match the sheets to make a scheme of work unique to your department.
PLEASE NOTE: this version is just the design booklet template and does not have the assessment tracking sheet bundled with it.
This resource consists of the files and assembly instructions for a custom designed lightweight art and craft box. It has a small writing shelf which can also be used as a lightbox with a suitable light source and there is an ‘inlet’ to feed in a USB hub or other wiring.
All the parts can be laser cut with the optional handle clip, cable tidy and example tray supplied as .STL files for 3D printing.
This resource is an original design but you are encouraged to design your own extras and add-ons to customise it to your individual needs.
Please note: no physical materials are supplied with this resource, you have to supply your own but yo are buying this resources as an original product design. Sharing the files or adapting them to sell as your own would be a breach of copyright.
This bundle consists of all you need to support the teaching of the IGCSE in Design and Technology with a focus on resistant materials/product design:
An comprehensive A* level exemplar folder with over 30 extra sheets of supporting information and graphics
A 36 page illustrated student guide
Detailed tracking and assessment spreadsheets for the 9-1 and A-E syllabus.
Adjustable by centres, this is a colourful chart which will help understand how levels of progress relate to outgoing NC levels and grades and Progress and Attainment 8. It is unlocked so can be easily edited to suit centres or changing policies.
Update: Mark scheme added for the past paper and other questions in the lessons.
A set of 15 lessons in editable Powerpoint Show format which cover the teaching of textiles. Each lesson includes a lesson outcome, introduction, summary of the unit and revision tips as well as links to maths and science and a suggested practical activity.
Questions and past paper questions are matched to those in the AQA DT tracker (recently updated) so you can deliver theory as well as assessing knowledge and tracking progress.
You only need to cover ONE material group in depth so use this resource with the GCSE compulsory theory bundle available separately which covers all of the compulsory learning units 3.1 and 3.2.
Update: Mark scheme added for the past paper and other questions in the lessons.
A set of 15 lessons in editable Powerpoint Show format which cover the teaching of Polymers. Each lesson includes a lesson outcome, introduction, summary of the unit and revision tips as well as links to maths and science and a suggested practical activity.
Questions and past paper questions are matched to those in the AQA DT tracker (recently updated) so you can deliver theory as well as assessing knowledge and tracking progress.
You only need to cover ONE material group in depth so use this resource with the GCSE compulsory theory bundle available separately which covers all of the compulsory learning units 3.1 and 3.2.
BLOK is a new type of STEM ‘building block’ intended for educational use and also developed for commercial production and sale.
**UPDATE **(June 2023). The 3D files for the basic BLOK/BLOX are now included in the resource.
PLEASE NOTE: The BLOK product is not yet available to buy in retail stores, but the 3D files will be shared in a forthcoming resource, and the resource has instructions on how to make your own components.
This resource uses the BLOK as a case study to cover many aspects of the design and manufacturing processes used in Design and Technology and 3D Art.
It is not a linear resource and you can refer to any of the units at any time for reference or as tutorials. Using the BLOK product as a reference, the resource contains 20 separate units covering the following topics:
BLOK1: Introduction to the BLOK resource
BLOK2: The story of BLOK
BLOK3: Investigation and research
BLOK4: The iterative design process
BLOK5: Modular approaches to design
BLOK6: Sketching with BLOX
BLOK7: CAD modelling BLOK
BLOK8: Materials for manufacturing BLOK
BLOK9: Prototyping BLOK
BLOK10: Manufacturing BLOK
BLOK11: Branding, packaging, and promotion
BLOK12: Enterprise and Intellectual Property
BLOK13: Testing and evaluation
BLOK14: Functions of BLOK
BLOK15: Developing for BLOK
BLOK16: Advanced sketching with BLOX
BLOK17: Advanced CAD modelling BLOK
BLOK18: Sustainability in design
BLOK19: Modelling BLOK with SketchUp
BLOK20: Digital sketching and composition
It also includes one extra unit*:
BLOKEX1: Joe Blox Solidworks tutorial
The units are provided in print and presentation friendly PDF format along with supporting high quality JPEG illustrations and posters.
*Additional units may be added to the resource in the future.
These two workbooks support the compulsory theory for the AQA GCSE in D&T (8552). These workbooks are designed to match the theory presentations. Without these, the contents and questions in the workbooks may not seem as relevant, but they do address the syllabus criteria.
The two workbooks are in PowerPoint format so you can edit them to suit your needs but PDF versions are also included.
The resource includes:
3.1: Core Technical Principles (two workbooks)
These ‘blank’ workbook templates allow students to take notes as they wish when studying the theory based on the Cornell note taking approach.
They include past paper questions from the A Level presentations so students can keep notes and complete prep/homework assignments in the same booklet.
Workbooks are provided in both editable PowerPoint and printable PDF formats.
Also included are two revision books that summarise or illustrate certain concepts from the theory materials.
Update February 2022: A mark scheme has been added to help with assessment of the theory questions
A set of 22 lessons in editable Powerpoint Show format divided into units which match the specification. Each lesson in the unit includes a lesson outcome, introduction, summary of the lesson and revision tips as well as links to maths and science. Questions and past paper questions are matched to those in the AQA DT tracker (recently updated) so you can deliver theory as well as assessing knowledge and tracking progress.
A collection of the workbooks to support the theory presentations for 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3.
The resource consists of workbooks for the compulsory elements 3.1: Core technical principles and 3.3 Designing and making principles.
All five 3.2 workbooks are also supplied covering timber and wood, metals and alloys, paper and board, textiles and polymers.
This bundle represents a considerable saving on purchasing the individual workbooks.
(Updated July 2020)
This is a set of lesson presentations in Powerpoint Show format which will run without having Office installed. However, they can be opened within Powerpoint and edited if you wish. Each lesson is approximately 20 slides with the following content:
Lesson outcomes
Introduction
Main content
Summary of unit
Revision notes
Past paper question.
It is recommended to use and/or edit these presentation slides to support your own style of teaching rather than relying on them to provide all the relevant information to your students.
All past papers in the slides match those in the AQA A Level tracker available and provide you with everything you need to deliver and assess theory learning for AQA A Level Design and Technology. It is recommended that they are used with this tracker to assess student progress in theory. The content of this section is based on the Hodder AQA approved A Level book.
A document with the official answers from the relevant AQA mark scheme is also included with each unit.
This is a collection of all the current AQA GCSE Design and Technology resources. It provides everything you need to teach, assess and track the theory content but with the 3.2 specialist material focus on timber and wood, as well as extensive support for the NEA.
It represents a saving of over 30% if buying all the resources separately.
This is a resource designed specifically to support the teaching of Design and Technology at KS3 via remote learning. Rather than adapting an old classroom resource to try and teach remotely, this resource takes advantage of the situation to provide a unique learning experience. Students can learn many of the skills an industrial designer needs to work in industry often in a different location to manufacturing facilities. A wide range of skills and techniques can be incorporated into this project making it adaptable for a range of ages, abilities and environments. Several of these are suggested in the supporting documents.
The resource currently consists of a 52 page Powerpoint Show (Office not required to view), a 34 page PDF SketchUp tutorial document and three files for cutting the components. A printable packaging net is also included as well as a template for a paper diffuser should students wish to take that option.
We have also included a shortened version of the 40 page workbook that is designed to be used in Powerpoint so no need to print off paper copies. Hopefully this will inspire you to develop your own format and aid the move to a digital format in the future.
The laser cutting files are in Adobe Illustrator format but the
program is currently free to use for a few months so you can use it as it is or just to export to DXF or other format you may need during the trial period if you don’t already own and use this software.
A free resource for adding feedback to students for practical work/controlled assessment/NEA. It is in a digital format so it can be added to a VLE or online storage for access by student and teacher.
The teacher completes the blue and green sections while the student completes the pink section.
When we all return to school why not celebrate being back with your colleagues by getting a ‘round in’…non-alcoholic of course.
This is a slot together system made from 4mm laser ply. It is in Adobe Illustrator format but you can easily use the trial version (if you dont already own or use Illustrator) to get it into a DXF format for other programs such as 2D Design.
The logo and text can be changed to suit your school or work.
Enjoy a coffee!