Create, innovate, solve problems and shape our future with A Level Design Engineering. Explore through iterative design, the world of mechanical and electrically controlled products. Students study the principles of Design Engineering and apply these when they design a product or structure as a major coursework project.
In our modern and developing Design and Technology facilities, you'll apply technical skills to test and create 3D functional products through various design approaches including hand sketching, CAD and 3D model making.
The course will also enable you to develop and demonstrate transferable skills including:
- Managing yourself
- Effective learning
- Interpersonal skills
- Solving Problems
- Digital Skills
Both Design Engineering and Product Design courses lead to the same qualification so cannot be taken together. Design engineering has a heavy workload of independent coursework, and so students should be advised not to select three creative/ heavy coursework loaded subjects. To support the course and student’s understanding of the industry, work experience is highly advised.
Many career paths such as engineering or architecture may also require Maths or Physics A-level. To be able to keep up with the level of Maths & Physics in this qualification, we would recommend you also take Maths A Level or Physics A-level (or AS Level Maths as a 4th subject).
Please note: should you not meet the course requirements in Maths and Science you may choose AAQ Engineering or Product Design.
Course content
First Year
Students will cover the theory content and essential Physics skills for the exams, including 4 ½ hours home learning per week.
To enable students to develop the industry standard skills they need for visual communication and virtual testing, students are expected to work through an additional online CAD course that covers software such as SOLIDWORKS and Google SketchUp.
In year 1 students will begin their NEA (non-exam assessment) coursework where they will choose an area of interest and investigate, create, test and refine the functionality of a chosen mechanical product or device to solve a real-life problem. They will need to plan and conduct interviews with specialists and a stakeholder who they design for and conduct independent industrial investigations where work experience is highly advised. Students will gain an understanding of, and simulate the work of professional designers. This is a challenging activity and they will need to take a project management approach to their coursework and lead themselves through an investigation and iterative design portfolio, but will reward students with confidence and life skills to take into the workplace or university in the future. This design portfolio is perfect to present at interview and to explore career options for their future.
Second Year
The coursework is finalised and completed by the end for term 2. There is a college exhibition of the student’s projects to display their work and give them the opportunity to get feedback from the public.
Term 3 until the end of the course is focused solely on exam revision with 2 challenging exams to complete the course in June.
Topics
Identifying requirements:
- Exploring the context of a design
- Stakeholder analysis
- Considering usability when designing prototypes
Learning from existing products and practice:
- Analysing and evaluating products
- Technological developments in product design
- Past and present developments in product design
- Lifecycles of products
Implications of wider issues:
- Factors to consider when investigating design possibilities
- Factors to consider when developing design solutions for manufacture
- Factors to consider when manufacturing products
- Factors to consider when distributing products to markets
- How skills and knowledge from other subject areas inform decisions
Design thinking and communication:
- Annotated 2D and 3D sketching and digital tools
- Use of digital design tools by industry professionals
- Approaches to design thinking
Material and component considerations:
- Factors that influence the selection of materials
- Materials used when designing and manufacturing products and prototypes
- Properties/characteristics of materials
Technical understanding:
- Structural integrity
- Designing products to function effectively within their surroundings
- Smart and modern technologies
Manufacturing processes and techniques:
- Using materials and processes to make iterative models
- Using materials and processes to make final prototypes
- Using materials and processes to make commercial products
- How manufacturing is organised and managed for different scales of production
- Controlling quality through manufacture
Viability of design solutions:
- Assessing whether a design solution meets its stakeholder requirements
- Assessing whether a design solution meets the criteria of technical specifications
- Determining whether design solutions are commercially viable
Health and safety:
- Ensuring safety in a workshop environment
- The implications of health and safety legislation on product manufacture
First Year
Students will cover the theory content and essential Physics skills for the exams, including 4 ½ hours home learning per week.
To enable students to develop the industry standard skills they need for visual communication and virtual testing, students are expected to work through an additional online CAD course that covers software such as SOLIDWORKS and Google SketchUp.
In year 1 students will begin their NEA (non-exam assessment) coursework where they will choose an area of interest and investigate, create, test and refine the functionality of a chosen mechanical product or device to solve a real-life problem. They will need to plan and conduct interviews with specialists and a stakeholder who they design for and conduct independent industrial investigations where work experience is highly advised. Students will gain an understanding of, and simulate the work of professional designers. This is a challenging activity and they will need to take a project management approach to their coursework and lead themselves through an investigation and iterative design portfolio, but will reward students with confidence and life skills to take into the workplace or university in the future. This design portfolio is perfect to present at interview and to explore career options for their future.
Second Year
The coursework is finalised and completed by the end for term 2. There is a college exhibition of the student’s projects to display their work and give them the opportunity to get feedback from the public.
Term 3 until the end of the course is focused solely on exam revision with 2 challenging exams to complete the course in June.
Topics
Identifying requirements:
- Exploring the context of a design
- Stakeholder analysis
- Considering usability when designing prototypes
Learning from existing products and practice:
- Analysing and evaluating products
- Technological developments in product design
- Past and present developments in product design
- Lifecycles of products
Implications of wider issues:
- Factors to consider when investigating design possibilities
- Factors to consider when developing design solutions for manufacture
- Factors to consider when manufacturing products
- Factors to consider when distributing products to markets
- How skills and knowledge from other subject areas inform decisions
Design thinking and communication:
- Annotated 2D and 3D sketching and digital tools
- Use of digital design tools by industry professionals
- Approaches to design thinking
Material and component considerations:
- Factors that influence the selection of materials
- Materials used when designing and manufacturing products and prototypes
- Properties/characteristics of materials
Technical understanding:
- Structural integrity
- Designing products to function effectively within their surroundings
- Smart and modern technologies
Manufacturing processes and techniques:
- Using materials and processes to make iterative models
- Using materials and processes to make final prototypes
- Using materials and processes to make commercial products
- How manufacturing is organised and managed for different scales of production
- Controlling quality through manufacture
Viability of design solutions:
- Assessing whether a design solution meets its stakeholder requirements
- Assessing whether a design solution meets the criteria of technical specifications
- Determining whether design solutions are commercially viable
Health and safety:
- Ensuring safety in a workshop environment
- The implications of health and safety legislation on product manufacture
Progression
Students can develop their studies through a range of higher education courses or apprenticeships. Students will have access to careers in engineering, construction, architecture, civil engineering, product design, computer aided design and will also be able to pursue further into electronics and programming. Previous students have gained apprenticeships with companies including GKN, Airbus, Babcock, Integral and Rolls Royce amongst others or studied degree subjects such as Automotive Engineering, Robotics and Architecture.
Students can develop their studies through a range of higher education courses or apprenticeships. Students will have access to careers in engineering, construction, architecture, civil engineering, product design, computer aided design and will also be able to pursue further into electronics and programming. Previous students have gained apprenticeships with companies including GKN, Airbus, Babcock, Integral and Rolls Royce amongst others or studied degree subjects such as Automotive Engineering, Robotics and Architecture.
Resources
You will have access to a range of resources to support your learning, including:
- Fully equipped engineering workshop and design studio
- Industry-standard CAD and 3D modelling software
- Industry-standard tools and machinery
- CNC machines and 3D printers
- Library resources with engineering textbooks, eBooks, and research materials
- Online learning platforms with video tutorials and interactive content
- Experienced teachers and technician to support with individual problem-solving tasks
You will have access to a range of resources to support your learning, including:
- Fully equipped engineering workshop and design studio
- Industry-standard CAD and 3D modelling software
- Industry-standard tools and machinery
- CNC machines and 3D printers
- Library resources with engineering textbooks, eBooks, and research materials
- Online learning platforms with video tutorials and interactive content
- Experienced teachers and technician to support with individual problem-solving tasks
Equipment & Charges
- Students must also provide the following:
- Scientific calculator (not on a phone)
- A4 lever arch ring bound folder & 10 tab dividers
- A4 lined pad or exercise book for notes
- Pen
- Sketching Pencil , Rubber , 30cm Ruler , Protractor
- Pritt stick
- Sellotape
- A pair of basic headphones that can plug into the PC
- A squared exercise book
- Your own copy of the D&T My Revision Notes book
- Optional drawing equipment such as a fine liner pen, colouring pencils or marker pens
Access to a PC at home will be a huge advantage as you will be able to download CAD software and work on coursework more easily. Students will also be required to pay around £10 per year towards materials for their coursework project and home access to 3D modelling software. Students must provide the equipment below including buying a book at a cost of approx. £20 new. The cost of any trips will be the responsibility of the student. Financial assistance is available if required through the student bursary scheme, this should be applied for as soon as possible.
- Students must also provide the following:
- Scientific calculator (not on a phone)
- A4 lever arch ring bound folder & 10 tab dividers
- A4 lined pad or exercise book for notes
- Pen
- Sketching Pencil , Rubber , 30cm Ruler , Protractor
- Pritt stick
- Sellotape
- A pair of basic headphones that can plug into the PC
- A squared exercise book
- Your own copy of the D&T My Revision Notes book
- Optional drawing equipment such as a fine liner pen, colouring pencils or marker pens
Access to a PC at home will be a huge advantage as you will be able to download CAD software and work on coursework more easily. Students will also be required to pay around £10 per year towards materials for their coursework project and home access to 3D modelling software. Students must provide the equipment below including buying a book at a cost of approx. £20 new. The cost of any trips will be the responsibility of the student. Financial assistance is available if required through the student bursary scheme, this should be applied for as soon as possible.
Methods of teaching, learning and assessment
The course combines teaching methodologies such as, collaborative small group discussions and design critiques, whole class questions and answer activities, exam questions and some hands-on project-based learning, to encourage students to actively engage with real-world design and develop their problem-solving skills. Students must also engage in independent reading, Maths, CAD and project work between lessons for 4 ½ hours each week. Regular feedback is provided in a variety of ways including tests, self and peer assessment and small group support is available where necessary.
Methods of Assessment
Your progress will be assessed through a combination of coursework and exams. The course uses:
- One large iterative design project: Based on a real problem identified by the student.
- Two external exams: Testing your understanding of core engineering principles and issues that design engineers have to consider. There is Maths & Physics content in the examined unit equalling 25% of the exam grade. This is at higher tier GCSE Maths level and will be taught as part of the theory content for the course.
- Portfolio development: Coursework and other tasks can be collected to present at interviews.
Unit 1
Principles of Design
Exam
26.7%
Unit 2
Problem Solving
Exam
23.3%
Unit 3
Iterative Design Project
Coursework
50%
Methods of teaching and learning
You will experience a variety of teaching methods, including:
- Classroom-based learning: Gain theoretical knowledge through interactive lessons and independent tasks.
- Practical workshops: Learn hands-on skills and develop understanding through use of CAD software, models, kits, tools and equipment.
- Group work and projects: Collaborate with peers on group work and projects.
- Independent study: Conduct research, practice exercises, complete coursework and do further reading to deepen your understanding of concepts. (4 ½ hours every week)
The course combines teaching methodologies such as, collaborative small group discussions and design critiques, whole class questions and answer activities, exam questions and some hands-on project-based learning, to encourage students to actively engage with real-world design and develop their problem-solving skills. Students must also engage in independent reading, Maths, CAD and project work between lessons for 4 ½ hours each week. Regular feedback is provided in a variety of ways including tests, self and peer assessment and small group support is available where necessary.
Methods of Assessment
Your progress will be assessed through a combination of coursework and exams. The course uses:
- One large iterative design project: Based on a real problem identified by the student.
- Two external exams: Testing your understanding of core engineering principles and issues that design engineers have to consider. There is Maths & Physics content in the examined unit equalling 25% of the exam grade. This is at higher tier GCSE Maths level and will be taught as part of the theory content for the course.
- Portfolio development: Coursework and other tasks can be collected to present at interviews.
|
Unit 1 |
Principles of Design |
Exam |
26.7% |
|
Unit 2 |
Problem Solving |
Exam |
23.3% |
|
Unit 3 |
Iterative Design Project |
Coursework |
50% |
Methods of teaching and learning
You will experience a variety of teaching methods, including:
- Classroom-based learning: Gain theoretical knowledge through interactive lessons and independent tasks.
- Practical workshops: Learn hands-on skills and develop understanding through use of CAD software, models, kits, tools and equipment.
- Group work and projects: Collaborate with peers on group work and projects.
- Independent study: Conduct research, practice exercises, complete coursework and do further reading to deepen your understanding of concepts. (4 ½ hours every week)
Enrichment
Industry visitors and college alumni work with students in college to support their learning. We also encourage students to make contact with industry experts to support their coursework and work experience can be useful for this.
Industry visitors and college alumni work with students in college to support their learning. We also encourage students to make contact with industry experts to support their coursework and work experience can be useful for this.
Where can this course lead?
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