Design faculty

The Faculty has an excellent and dedicated team of specialists working in a purpose built environment within a school that supports Design and Technology in all its aspects.

The Faculty is led by the Director of Studies and Assistant Director of Studies. There is also a teacher in charge of Food/Textiles. The staff work as a team and hold regular planning and monitoring meetings at which the policies and practice of the Faculty are corporately agreed.

There are 5 multi-functional workshops which are all refurbished and upgraded with a purposebuilt, networked computer suite added in a common area to the workshops. There is a large faculty office, storerooms and the Faculty has technical support, including ICT.

The Faculty has links with industry and was one of the founder members of the North Yorkshire Business & Education Partnership. It has a long history of supporting the Harrogate & Area Business & Education Partnership and has a long history of entering pupils in local, regional and national competitions through NYBEP and Young Engineers, often with great success.

Faculty staff regularly hold lunch time clubs and activities and also offer after-school sessions for examination students to concentrate on their coursework.

GCSE results in DT have remained high over the past five years with 74% in 2008 achieving A*-C grades. Results for 2009 A*-C: Resistant Materials 60% Product Design 72% Textiles 87.5% Food Technology 69% (100% A*-G in all areas and positive or neutral residuals in all areas apart from Food Technology). Equally, AS and A2 Technology has grown both in popularity and examination success with 30 students at present on the course.

The curriculum is based upon the school's ethos that there should be entitlement of access for all students and that education is a preparation for the real world of the 21st century. In Years 7 & 8 all students undertake 2 hours of Design & Technology. In Years 9 -11 Design Technology is an options subject.

At GCSE, Design & Technology in Product Design, Resistant Materials, Food Technology and Textiles Technology are all offered as an option choice. At 'A' level the ‘Product Design’ syllabus is the current course. We offer 3D Design and Product Design Textiles.

The Faculty has constant improvement at its heart. It combines high standards of provision with excellent teaching and learning and is popular with students. It is forward thinking and confident of its position both in school and beyond.