Design and technology
Our students solve real-world design problems in cutting-edge facilities.
Design and technology at City
The design and technology department galvanises students to produce imaginative yet applicable solutions to problems. We have embraced design and technology as a provision here at City with excellent facilities including 3D printers and laser-cutting facilities.
Why study design and technology at City?
Design and technology is a subject that plays a fundamental role in our everyday lives. With an emphasis on authentic practice, DT at City promotes creative invention and design innovation that solve real and relevant problems. We prepare learners to become critical and creative designers, engineers and consumers of the future. As such, we are thrilled to share the work of our 2026 GCSE and A level students in our new booklet which you can view here. Each page showcases work from across our GCSE and A Level courses, demonstrating the accumulation of skills and expertise that they have acquired.
Students are able to engage in a variety of contexts to understand and appreciate the design and manufacture of existing products, making them more empathetic designers and more discriminating purchasers. Students learn to deliver their thinking and design skills through iterative design processes that allow them to explore, create and evaluate their design concepts.
Our Staff
Curriculum
Year 7-9
During Key Stage 3, students complete a carousel of projects, exposing them to every stage of the design process. Students explore through conducting research; they learn how to analyse the design, materials, and manufacturing processes of existing products. Students create by designing and constructing prototypes; they learn technical skills and use hand tools, machinery and computer aided design and manufacturing to bring their designs to life. Students evaluate by analysing their own projects; they develop their confidence as consumers through being critical thinkers. To complement their newfound ability to be creative, purposeful, and skilled practical workers, students are able to apply their theoretical knowledge in a tangible and visual space.
Year 10-11
The Product Design GCSE involves students in activities which develop innovation and flair. The course has no material bias; it anticipates that candidates will develop their skills through working with any appropriate material including, where and when appropriate, the use of ICT. Students will learn to deliver their thinking and design skills through the Iterative Design Challenge (coursework) that allows them to explore, create and evaluate following practices and strategies used by the creative, engineering and manufacturing industries. Students study product specifications, evaluate existing products, generate design proposals, and select appropriate materials, tools, and equipment. They learn to sketch concepts and prototype ideas. They also develop awareness of consumer requirements, develop ICT skills using computer aided design and manufacture software packages, and develop knowledge of materials and manufacturing processes. The course is an exciting opportunity for the girls that will enable them to have a greater understanding of design in the real world.
In Year 11, if you are thinking about doing engineering or a design-based degree, students can apply for the Arkwright Scholarship for support during their A Level studies.
Sixth form
The Product Design A Level focuses on consumer products and applications and their analysis in respect of materials, components, process and their selection and uses in products and/or systems. It also focuses on the selection and use of the above in industrial commercially viable products and practices. The learning approach employed, teaches students to solve problems logically, develop reasoning skills and work independently, similar to that experienced in higher education and industry. For the Iterative Design Project (coursework), students identify an engaging and challenging context of their own choice that offers design opportunity or a problem to respond to in the development of a design solution. They create a chronological portfolio of evidence in real-time as they explore, create and evaluate the project according to the iterative processes.
Each year, many students apply to study design or engineering related degrees, such as Product Design, Industrial Design, Design Engineering, Civil Engineering and Architecture.
'DT is also hugely popular, compulsory in years 7-9 with three classes at GCSE and good uptake at A level. We admired ambitious projects from an adjustable wheelchair ramp to homeware that wouldn’t have been out of place in Heal’s. Trips to Copenhagen and the Venice Biennale are clearly inspirational.'
Beyond the curriculum
To enhance the learning experience of our students, enrichment trips and outings have included visits to the Design Museum and the V&A. Students studying GCSE and A level design, have attended external workshops, exhibitions and lectures from designers and engineers, such as Product Design in Action and New Designers. These develop skills and provide first-hand experience of higher education careers in relevant fields.
