St Augustine's Catholic College > Department Information

Design and Technology provides a very special experience for students and whilst the title has only been around since the national curriculum came into being in the early ‘90’s the activity is much older. Since the time when the first humans realised they could improve the condition of their existence, Design and Technology has enabled us to progress. Today it has the same purpose, teaching students that nothing is inevitable – all can be changed for the better.
Each one of us is reliant upon it and benefits from it every minute of the day, from the food we eat, to the clothes we wear, the transport we use to get to work and our shelter at night.

In Design & Technology at St. Augustine’s we aim to inspire the great Design Technologists of the future by helping them to find their talent, develop their confidence and opening doors of opportunity.
Our aim is that all students become equipped with the skills and abilities so highly valued by employers in today’s competitive market place :-

• The ability to solve ‘real’ problems
• How to deliver what the customer wants
• The appreciation that ‘quality’ in everything is vital
• Good decision making
• Project management - getting the job done on-time
• Communication skills
• The ability to use Information Technology
• Self-reliance and how to work with others

We achieve this through a wide range of experiences and courses from Yr7 to Y13 during which students learn some quite ‘traditional’ skills and knowledge as well as experiencing the latest Computer Aided Manufacturing techniques such as Laser-cutting and 3D Printing, which we have had since November 2005.
The future here will be full of change, but very exciting for everyone.

Yr12 Engineering Team

Engineering Education Scheme’s Celebration and Assessment Day at British Aerospace, Bristol on 27th April - our team of Yr12 students who have been working on an engineering design problem for Westinghouse Rail systems, Chippenham. The scheme is part of the Royal Academy’s programme for giving a selected team of students an insight into the working life of professional engineers. Since October last year the team has been looking at how information such as speed that train drivers need can be presented as a ‘head-up’ display. In December the team attended a three day residential workshop at the University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol. This is the seventh year the College has offered the sponsored scheme to our students. The College is very grateful to Westinghouse Rail systems for its continued support. The guest speaker at the Celebration Day said that the College should be very proud of this year’s team.

Technology projects for national exhibition

The continued high standard of work produced by our ‘A’ Level Design & Technology students has led to a request for projects to be displayed at the national Design & Technology teacher’s conference at Loughborough University in June. Parents and friends of the College will be aware of the advanced 3D and 2D computer aided manufacturing facilities Technology College funding has provided and it is the use of this equipment which the exhibition is to highlight. The Technology Dept’s facilities even exceed those available at some universities and past students following design courses in Higher Education come back to use them as part of our after-college service to those who have studied ‘A’ Level with us. Past students comment that even when universities have the rapid prototyping equipment access is often limited – unlike at St.Augustine’s.

There is a display of GCSE and ‘A’Level project work in the College reception area.