Royal Russell School News Archive

‘A design is not finished until someone is using it.’ - March 2011

GCSE designs alongside 'poem puppets' designed by Junior School pupils for World Book Day.

Over the past year 27 GCSE Design & Technology students have been working hard to design and make products for 4 to 5 year olds that could be sold at a tourist attraction. Their outcomes have been interesting and diverse – but will they work? In order to find out, the GCSE students visited the reception classes of Miss Hughes and Mrs Wragg in the Junior School. Over two frantic sessions the products were put through their paces. Some came through with flying colours others needed a little more design thought and others simply needed to be more robust. There is nothing like a four year old to test the durability of a toy!

It was an enjoyable experience for all and a great opportunity for the Reception pupils to see the challenging work that is undertaken by older students in the Senior School. It was also an opportunity for the senior pupils to do some genuine product testing and to also see design work that is undertaken by much younger pupils. The day was a success and highlighted the valuable links that can exist between the pupils in the Senior and Junior Schools at Royal Russell.