The College has been a Specialist Design and Technology College since 1998. It has been successfully re-designated on three occasions and is awaiting re-designation in 2010. A modern five-roomed purpose built Technology block was opened in 1995 and since then a state of the art rapid prototyping manufacturing centre has been added, providing outstanding facilities for our students and enabling us to share our expertise with the local authority, community, industry and Higher Education.
Our Design and Technology department is at the forefront of curriculum innovation and design, having been visited by Government advisors on a number of occasions and featuring in DCSF publications for outstanding practice. Culminating in student work being featured as one of only six case studies on the government website for the new design and technology curriculum. The impact of the specialism on standards has been far reaching, not least in the provision of new technologies across all subjects and influencing ways of using technology to raise attainment and engagement in subjects such as Mathematics, Science, Business Education and ICT.
Beyond our College, opportunities to extend the practice of Design and Technology have seen links forged with our own feeder schools, other secondary schools and Higher Education establishments involved in teacher training. As members of national advisory groups our teachers take a leading role in the promotion of Design and Technology Education and are at the forefront of advances in learning for students of all ages.
