As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting our GCSE Design and Technology qualification, we are pleased to launch a wide range of NEA guidance materials alongside a new approach to exemplars for the subject.
Firstly, we have updated the NEA Delivery guide originally published in 2019, so that it pulls together into a single document all of the guidance available for the coursework component. This includes:
- A summary of the component.
- Advice on how to help students identify an appropriate project and take an iterative approach.
- The role of the teacher throughout the NEA.
- Explanation of what the NEA content requires, grid by grid.
- A detailed breakdown of how moderators differentiate candidate evidence between levels, grid by grid.
- Signposting of where to avoid double crediting candidate evidence.
- Clear guidance for how to approach NEA involving a scaled outcome.
- Reminders of where legacy approaches are not credit worthy in this 9-1 qualification.
The NEA delivery guide provides live links to our new exemplar library, which we are committed to expanding year on year. Currently, the library provides an exemplar with commentary for every level of every grid. Our aim is to expand these exemplars to ensure they cover all material approaches and a wide range of projects/contexts. We have also expanded our full portfolio offer alongside this, as a format teachers still value to support their moderation.
To support the requirement for computer aided design (CAD) within the NEA, we have set up a Youtube playlist of Edexcel qualification specific CAD support videos, which provide guidance of free, web browser based software. These videos are aimed at supporting teachers who may be unsure about where to start with CAD for the NEA (or just need some ideas), but they are also suitable for students to watch and follow independently.
Knowing that many centres will be close to manufacture very soon, we have produced a made outcomes support document, which provides commentary on both the limitations of the prototyping approach taken, and recommendations to improve the prototype, for a range of student outcomes from 2023. We have exemplified prototypes at all four levels, and again aimed to cover a range of materials.
Lastly, we have prepared a set of “Do Now” worksheets, which are written for students,, which are written for students, and will support teaching the NEA, grid by grid. These worksheets are in editable word versions to allow teachers to copy and paste them into their own house styles or onto different paper formats, and provide a student ready explanation of the focus of each grid (e.g. Investigation), information about the activity which includes appropriate expectations for GCSE, and concludes with a set of questions for students to check their knowledge and that they are focusing on the key areas for assessment.
We will be expanding our support throughout 2024 with videos for classroom use, updates to our contextual challenges, and more exemplars, both full portfolio and grid by grid exemplars.
If you have any questions relating to GCSE D&T support, please contact our subject advisor.
