Shaping the Future of Design and Technology Education in England

Talking D&T

Send me a message.

In this introductory episode of the second series of my Talking D&T podcast for 2024, I discuss the focus of the upcoming series on shaping design and technology education in England. The series, running from April to August 2024, will feature international speakers sharing their perspectives on the subject in their respective countries.
I explain the catalysts behind the series, including the decline in the number of pupils studying GCSE design and technology and proposals for transforming the curriculum. I have been attending various national meetings about the subject's current state and future development, hosted by organizations such as the Design Council. My podcast aims to bring these conversations to a wider audience and engage them in the discussion.
I have divided the series into three parts, focusing on design and technology's current status in England, what people think about this, and what is being done to address the issues. I have invited a diverse range of guests, including representatives from exam boards, subject associations, and international voices. I hope that listeners will find the series engaging and encourage them to get involved in the conversation by sharing their ideas and opinions. The first public episode will be released on April 16th, 2024, with a subscription-only episode available on April 11th for teachers and other subscribers to prompt further thinking based on the context of shaping design and technology education.
Mentioned in the episode
Design Council: An independent charity and the government's advisor on design. Matilda Agace will discuss the organisation's role in shaping D&T education.

Design and Technology Association, the only professional association for D&T education in the UK, actively involved in conversations about the subject's future.

Crafts Council: The national charity for craft in the UK. Nikki Dewar will discuss their perspective on D&T education and the role of craft.

Pearson's proposal, put forward by this education company, has served as a catalyst for current conversations and meetings surrounding the future of D&T education in England.

Support the show

If you like the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee to say 'thanks!'
Please offer your feedback about the show or ideas for future episodes and topics by connecting with me on Threads @hardy_alison or by emailing me.
If you listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, please take a moment to rate and/or review the show.
If you want to support me by becoming a Patron click here.
If you are not able to support me financially, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or sharing a link to my work on social media. Thank you!

Chapter

1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Why this series on shaping D&T education? (00:00:45)

3. Catalysts for the conversations and meetings (00:01:44)

4. The context of D&T education in England (00:02:30)

5. Bringing the conversations to a wider audience (00:03:15)

6. Structure and guests of the podcast series (00:04:11)

7. Wrap-up, subscription episodes, and call to action (00:06:15)