Encouraging innovation

The opportunities within Design and Technology

The aim of our Design and Technology department is clear – to instil the same passion and love for the subject that we as specialist staff have. We achieve this by showing our pupils how closely the subject relates to the real world, emphasising just how many career opportunities it can lead to.  

From architects to construction managers, product designers and engineers in various fields, we have seen our students pursue a broad range of exciting and fulfilling roles. Using our comprehensive facilities and experience, we equip pupils with the skills to grow into effective designers and to ultimately thrive in any career pathway they choose.   

Design and Technology requires pupils to think critically, solve problems and continuously analyse and evaluate their work – desirable skills which are all transferable beyond the classroom. Whether pupils are learning about manufacturing processes used in industry, exploring materials and technologies, or developing their practical or Computer Aided Design (CAD) skills, the subject consistently challenges them to harness their creativity and fulfil their potential. 

To achieve our aim, we are keen to extend our pupils’ learning beyond the classroom. Pupils have visited Triumph Motorcycles to witness design development and manufacturing processes in a real factory setting, enjoyed insightful tours of Loughborough University and the University of Sheffield to hear from current staff and students about the opportunities available to them in Higher Education, and participated in exciting external design competitions like the Scalextric4Schools initiative and the ‘Flying in the Future’ competition held by East Midlands Airport.  

Alongside these opportunities, we have been fortunate to hear from former pupils talk to our current ones about how they have applied the subject after leaving the Grammar School in multiple fields such as architecture and mechanical engineering. From their experiences of university study to achieving nationally recognised qualifications, we feel it is extremely valuable for pupils to know the wide range of possibilities the subject creates for them. 

One of our recent Sixth Form students secured a prestigious degree apprenticeship with one of the UK’s top employers. Reflecting on how his time studying Design and Technology at Loughborough Grammar helped him to achieve this, Matthew (LGS 2025) described that: “studying Design and Technology really helped shape my decision to apply for a degree apprenticeship. The projects I worked on helped me realise that I enjoyed solving real-world problems and turning ideas into physical outcomes. When I was writing my application, I could genuinely talk about my own experiences from GCSE, A Level and co-curricular activities rather than just listing skills. DT gave me confidence in my abilities and gave me real-world insight into what being an engineer could be like which made me feel sure that I was choosing the right path.” 

This sense of gaining a ‘real-world insight’ sits at the heart of Design and Technology at Loughborough Grammar School. We offer pupils a wide range of co-curricular opportunities and experiences alongside their studies.  

Most notably, pupils in our recently established Engineering Society are currently working on the production of a car for the GreenPower challenge alongside pupils from Loughborough High School – a project began and driven forward by alum, Kaelin (LGS 2024) who is now studying Automotive Engineering at Loughborough University. They have been preparing the body of the car for the use of composite materials to create the shell, designing the driver’s seat, and exploring data logging methods to monitor performance once it is running. 

The car is being prepared to race at GreenPower events – a UK based charity which gets young people enthusiastic about science and engineering by challenging them to design, build and race an electric car. While teaching pupils about the sustainability of electric vehicles, it further enables them to apply their practical skills to an outcome, mirroring what it would be like to work on a similar project in professional industry. 

Talking about how the wealth of co-curricular and enrichment opportunities prepared him for university study, Kaelin described that: “I think that the open nature of the department and being able to go there during lunch to work on projects and coursework really helped develop the skills needed to go into a career in engineering. Before the enrichment sessions, I didn’t know anything about welding or CAD so being able to learn these skills through producing my own designs in a supportive environment was really beneficial. What was really advantageous to my university course was that I had already learned a lot of the skills covered in the course introduction, so even now I’d say I’m still ahead of my peers in terms of knowledge in manufacturing methods.” 

Design and Technology is a creative subject which brings together multiple different fields. From the applications of Physics to the involvement of Maths and the creativity of Art, it offers our pupils something unique – the chance to lead their own learning and develop a wealth of skills that equip them for many future avenues. This alone encourages innovation amongst our pupils, preparing them to succeed in all the possible pathways stemming from a rich and diverse education in the subject.