As we all know, the lockdown has been proving challenging but despite this, our Design & Technology students have been very focused and dedicated to studying the theory topics of our GCSE qualification. One of the most enjoyable parts of our subject is all the practical work and projects. Of course, with current times we have had to adapt our projects.

My Year 10 Textiles class have been working on a practice Non-Exam-Assessment project, in preparation for the real thing that they will work on in Year 11. Their current project, titled ‘Sustainability’ is challenging them to think about the impact that designers and consumers can have on the planet. They are being asked to design a textiles product which has a sustainable element to it.

Ella-Rose has been investigating some fascinating designer clothing that uses the 6R’s to make a sustainable statement, while maintaining a popular street wear style.

Last week I asked my class to experiment with some fabric dyeing using only natural sources and when I was sent in work, I was so chuffed to see that they had really taken on the challenge and had produced some fantastic results! In particular, Jesse Beavan and Elicia Bryan who used ingredients like coffee, tea, turmeric, blackberries and avocado skins to produce a range of colours! Have a look at some of the photos to see their work and the results of the dyeing!

I am thrilled to see our students producing such high quality work, even when faced with the challenge of having to complete their tasks more or less independently and am looking forward to seeing how they progres