GCSE D&T - Graphic Products
Brief Summary of Specification:
The department offers a GCSE course in Graphic Products, examined through the OCR group. The assessment of candidates includes both practical capability in Design and Technology applied to designing and making a product, and the knowledge and understanding which underpins this capability.
Candidates are entered for either Foundation Tier or Higher Tier.
Syllabus Components
| Level | Paper | Duration | Weighting |
|---|
| (Foundation) | Paper 1 Core | 1 hour 30 min | 20% |
| (Higher) | Paper 2 Core | 1 hour 30 min | 20% |
| (Foundation) | Paper 3 Product analysis | 1 hour 30min | 20% |
| (Higher) | Paper 4 Product analysis | 1 hour 30 min | 20% |
| (Foundation & Higher) | Paper 5 Coursework | | 60% |
Question Papers:
Candidates will enter for one tier and take two papers.
The papers will test a candidate's knowledge and understanding of Graphic Products Technology through questions on designing and making. Candidates are required to answer all questions.
Each question paper will contain five questions reflecting the grades targeted. Responses from candidates will be required in the form of one word, sentences, sketches with supporting notes and formal drawings using instruments.
Coursework Requirements:
The coursework will consist of one project, where candidates will be expected to design and make a high-quality Graphic Products Technology product. This project requires a design-and-make activity related to industrial/commercial practices, and the appropriate application of systems and control.
A candidate's coursework submission must take the form of a design folder and a realisation of design. It is expected that coursework will be completed in the course of normal curriculum time and should represent around 40 hours' work. The choice of project will be agreed with subject staff. Presentation of work will be assessed through the coursework folder.
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Subject Content:
The programme of study for Design and Technology at KS4 requires candidates to develop their capability through the combining of designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding in order to design and make products related to industrial practices, and the appropriate application of systems and control.
The subject content provides the opportunities for that capability to be developed through the activities of: product evaluation; focused tasks in which the skills and knowledge of designing and making are taught together with appropriate knowledge and understanding; assignments, where candidates design and make products of quality.
Pupils are given a detailed breakdown of the design content and knowledge content at the start of the course.
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Grade Descriptions:
Grade A
When designing and making, candidates use a range of strategies to help them generate appropriate ideas. They identify how the needs and preferences of users are reflected in existing products and their markets, and relate these ideas to their own work. They make decisions on materials and techniques based on an understanding of their physical and working characteristics. Their designs achieve optimum use of materials and provide comprehensive details concerning the product, methods of manufacture and tolerances. They identify the conflicting demands upon their designs, identify and communicate how each design idea addresses these demands and use this analysis to produce a design proposal.
Candidates produce detailed working schedules which identify where decisions have to be made, set realistic deadlines for the various stages of manufacture and allow for alternative methods of manufacture. They organise their work to ensure that processes can be carried out accurately and consistently, and use tools and techniques with the degree of precision required by their plans. They ensure consistency when items are being manufactured in quantity and apply quality control and assurance procedures. When testing their final products, they identify a range of criteria which address the performance of the solution they have produced.
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Coursework Assessment:
The following is a breakdown of the assessment scheme for coursework, showing how the marks are allocated:
| Objective | Marks for Designing | Marks for Making | Total Marks |
|---|
| Identification of a need or opportunity leading to a design brief | 4 | | |
| Research into design brief resulting in a specification | 12 | | |
| Generation of ideas | 12 | | |
| Product development | 12 | | |
| Product planning and realisation | | 52 | |
| Evaluation and testing | | 8 | |
| Designing Total | | | 40 |
| Making Total | | | 60 |
| Coursework Total | | | 100 |
The weighting of the coursework marks should be an indicator of the time that candidates should spend on each part of the project.
It is envisaged that the coursework presented should represent approximately 40 hours of curriculum time for the Full Course GCSE. Some of the work, by its very nature, may be undertaken outside school eg research work, testing etc.
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Course Structure:
During Year 10 the course is structured around a series of focused projects. The projects are evaluated using the coursework marking scheme, and pupils are issued with a time-planning chart containing deadlines and milestone points based on the requirements of the mark scheme. Theory work is delivered through connections with the projects, and included in the project presentation.
Packaging Project - involving the design and packaging for a small item.
Pop-up book- involving the use of paper engineering & systems to produce a mechanical pop-up book.
During Year 11 the course is structured around a major coursework project, which will have been agreed between pupils and staff at the end of Year 10, allowing preparatory research to be undertaken during the summer break. Pupils will be given a time-planning chart for their project, and milestones and deadlines will be applied as for the Year 10 projects. Project deadlines may be found in the School calendar. Parents will be able to see the project time-chart, with feedback comments, in order to assess progress on the major project. If pupils fail to meet interim deadlines, parents will be informed by letter.
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Homework:
This is set on a weekly basis, and should involve pupils in approximately two hours' work. The first year of the course is structured around two focused minor projects, and when engaged on project work this time may vary considerably, but should not be below two hours. The exact nature of parts of the homework will often be pupil-generated, as part of the syllabus requirement to plan their work. During the first year of the course, theory notes are given during lessons, and pupils are required to present this information as part of their project report. Good presentation is an important part of the course, and homework time should be devoted to this. Pupils will require a set of drawing equipment for use at home and in school, and would benefit from the use of an A3 drawing board at home. Pupils will be expected to use Pro-Desktop CAD software, which is issued free for use at home. All pupils will also need an A3 portfolio to transport project work.
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Testing:
Internal testing is carried out at half-termly intervals during the course. The test topics are centred on the focused tasks being undertaken in the minor projects, and will sometimes involve homework in the production of project reports to a deadline. This reflects the importance of project work in the overall marking of the course. The tests are as follows:
Year 10
- Basic drawing methods
- Packaging project presentation
- Industrial processes
- Point of sales project presentation
- Design considerations
- End of year examination - all topics covered
Year 11
- Major project research presentation
- Mock examination - all topics
- Major project research & design
- Major project manufacture
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Revision:
Tests are based on the body of knowledge which has been delivered to the pupils at that point in the course. They should revise from their theory notes which are incorporated into the focus projects, and the relevant sections in the textbook which is issued to all pupils. A breakdown of revision topics will be given prior to examinations covering all topics.
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Target-Setting:
Pupils' focused minor project reports are checked on a regular basis, and targets set to improve their quality and content as required. In addition, targets will be set by pupils following each half-termly test. Following the commencement of the major project, regular individual tutorials are given to pupils every three to four weeks, and targets for the continuation of project work will be set.
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Progress beyond KS4:
Graphic Products GCSE leads directly to AS/A2 level Product Design (Graphics with Materials). Pupils' ability to progress on to the advanced-level course is dependent on their ability to design and manufacture work to a high standard, and their ability to cope with higher-level theory work. Staff will advise on individual students' suitabilty.
Criteria for acceptance to the course:
This follows the general criteria for acceptance on to all AS/A2 courses, with the following particular subject-specific criteria:
| CRITERIA | METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|---|
| Ability and motivation to work independently on individual project work | High standard of coursework evident during Year 10 & 11 |
| Ability to gather research data independently and present in a structured and relevant format | High standard of research material evident from Year 10 & 11 coursework |
| Ability to respond creatively to design problems | High standard of creative thinking evidenced in Year 10 & 11 coursework |
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