Through Design Technology, pupils are encouraged to be outward-looking and develop an awareness of the implications of global and environmental design issues. Using technologically complex tools and machinery and experimenting with a range of materials and components, the girls combine their design and practical skills with a wider understanding to create quality products. This combination of practical skills with aesthetic and ethical values brings idealism into contact with realism and engenders an appreciation of the demands of the world outside the school gates.

Aims and Purposes of Design and Technology 

At Northampton High School Design and Technology offers opportunities for pupils to:

• Nurture creativity and innovation through designing and making;
• Develop their designing and making skills; taking a risk with their ideas.
• Develop knowledge and understanding of materials and components; systems and structures;
• Develop their capability, through combining their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding to design and make products;
• Explore values about and attitudes to the made world and how we live, work and interact within it;
• Relate and apply knowledge and understanding from across the curriculum.

Visits outside the school environment are considered essential to develop pupils’ awareness of industrial practice and to design for real life situations and clients. Close links with local engineering companies are maintained along with behind the scenes visits to Northampton Museum historical costume store and working closely with the University of Northampton Fashion and Textile department.

Sixth form pupils make full use of the design and research opportunities offered by the close vicinity of London and Birmingham and many students have completed exciting subject based work experience in the design industry in recent years which has then led them to specialist university courses and future careers.

All age groups are given the opportunity to enter a wide range of national and local competitions and awards and girls have achieved significant success in recent years.

We aim to help all students to become technologically literate citizens capable of operating both as consumers of, and contributors to, the made world.

Rotary Young Chef Competition		Example of some of A Level work