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Department Reviews

TECHNOLOGY

The public examination results continue to be excellent with most pupils achieving top grades. Eight GCSE Textiles Technology pupils achieved marks which put them among the top ten candidates in the country. AS pupil Chelsea Chau achieved full marks in the Product Design Examination. Louise Curwen achieved not only a grade A in her A2 exam, but was also awarded a Sustainable Design Award for her coursework from the Schumacher Centre for Technology and Development.

The department made a significant contribution to providing the costumes for the LC3 Musical Production of My Fair Lady. As part of her coursework, A level pupil, Ivie Egonmwan, made the Ascot costume for the leading lady, Eliza Doolittle.

The new Edexcel AS Product Design and Food Technology specifications have been delivered. Another new initiative was undertaken to enter the GCSE Textiles and Food Technology pupils for the Silver Crest Award, which every pupil successfully passed. In LC3, a new Graphics module was introduced which proved both successful and effective, as it can be used to enhance some areas of work in other subjects.

A group of Dutch lecturers from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute visited the department to give presentations on their areas of expertise. In exchange, AS level pupils gave presentations of their design portfolios. Upper College pupils were privileged to take part in a Theatre Costume Workshop given by Emma Harrup, a costume designer from The Royal Shakespeare Company. A trip to The Clotheshow Live was once again a truly inspirational day for all Textile candidates at GCSE and A level.

In Textiles Technology, LC1 have been environmentally-friendly, helping to save the planet with their patchwork cushions made from scraps of fabric. The sustainable theme continued in LC2, when pupils designed and made a range of designer bags with the use of CAD/CAM. The bags, hopefully, will help to replace the plastic carrier bag. LC3 were challenged to design and make wall-tidies suitable for a teenager’s bedroom. Different forms of fabric embellishment, using both new and traditional methods, have been studied and applied.

Educational visits for pupils studying Food Technology at GCSE included a trip to Cadbury World. This provided the pupils with the opportunity to attend a seminar on the new product development process, including learning about trends in chocolate consumption. The highlight of the day was a tour around the factory showing how chocolate is produced on a large scale. The UC4 Food Technologists visited a Marks and Spencer Food store to assess the ways in which the company is trying to minimise its carbon footprint. A level pupils attended the British Nutrition Foundation Annual Conference on Diet and Health in London. In addition, a lively debate on ‘The Obesity Epidemic’ at the Science Festival held in Cheltenham was also attended.

Robert Rees, also known as the ‘Cotswold Chef’, visited the department to give an excellent demonstration of various fish dishes, including seared scallops, red mullet and skate. This proved inspirational for several UC5 pupils, who used some of his ideas for their coursework project.

The new Cooking Club has demonstrated its popularity. Pupils from all year groups have made a variety of seasonal foods, including Valentine Biscuits, Christmas Chocolate Fudge and Summer Fruit Smoothies. Pupils have also been involved in expanding their culinary education and skills by preparing German, Spanish and French cuisine, with the assistance of the Modern Languages department.

News

Recent Press Coverage

Recent Press Coverage

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England’s Under 16 International Hockey Training Squad

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College Success at Debating and Public Speaking

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