We look back on 2005–06 as a successful and productive year in the Design and Technology Department. It was the second year of stability regarding staffing and the first full year of use for our new junior workshop and computer design area. Both these factors have allowed developments in the curriculum that were not possible the year before.
Mr Parmar and I have assisted each other with the progress made by our examination classes, both at GCSE and A level, while at the same time developing aspects of the Key Stage 3 curriculum.
Mrs Pearce, our part-time technician shared with the Food Technology and Art Departments, has also been essential in the success of the ambitious project work completed by some of our upper school pupils. Her work tracking down specialist tools, materials and components, along with her workshop assistance, is the type of support that students often fail to recognise in the success of their manufactured products.
In the lower school we have concentrated on projects that give students the opportunity of developing their skills and confidence in the use of materials and workshop tools. Short projects in Year 7 introduce pupils to the skills needed for working with wood, metal and plastic.
Year 8 students have worked a lot more on the actual process of designing through a series of design activities. Their final manufactured project was based on the theme of storage, using wood, plastic and Computer Aided Manufacturing.
Last year we were very pleased to have a record number of twenty-seven students opting to take Design and Technology through to GCSE level. This included an increased percentage of girls, who are beginning to appreciate the opportunities that the subject offers them. Results were excellent, with a 100% A* to C pass rate.
A level projects have been diverse this year and have involved close collaboration with both the Prep School and our own Senior School management. A particularly personal project by Andrew Ellis was the design and manufacture of a tribute, from the pupils of Royal Russell School, to Miss Judith Chapman, who died two years ago of cancer. Meticulous care and research were invested in a memorial, which sits in the flower bed outside the Headmaster’s study as a permanent reminder of Miss Chapman’s dedication.
A level students undertook a number of external visits to broaden their understanding of the subject. Conferences at Colfe’s School and the Institute of Education exposed them to the thoughts and work of a range of professional designers. A trip to J. R. Cadman Lamps Ltd, a specialist lighting design and manufacturing company in Croydon, inspired the students and also allowed them to appreciate the economics and production methods of a small family-run business. We thank Mr Ian Cane for the time he gave us during this visit.
Visits of this nature have enabled us to maintain our 100% pass rate at A level and this year, for the first time, to earn a Good Schools Guide award for the best independent school A level results in Design & Technology.
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