Design and Engineering

Design and Engineering is a fascinating, rewarding and increasingly important subject in the modern world. The Design and Engineering Department at Hampton promotes innovation, resourcefulness and independent learning, encouraging each pupil to reach his full potential through individual design and make projects.

As well as the practical aspects of the subject, the study of Design and Engineering hones skills such as problem solving, lateral thinking, project planning, and time management, skills that prove invaluable in all walks of life, both in academia and beyond.

Hampton’s Design and Engineering pupils produce exceptional work, and in recent years, several Hamptonians have won highly prestigious Arkwright Scholarships, designed to nuture future leaders in Engineering and Technical Design.

AIMS OF Design and Engineering DEPARTMENT

• To promote the practical, investigative and creative skills required to understand and contribute to our technological world
• To encourage problem solving, decision making and independence through practical project work and design
• To prepare pupils for higher education in fields such as Engineering, Architecture and Technical Design

Facilities

Taught by five full time teaching staff with the assistance of two technicians, Hampton boasts superb Design and Technology facilities in a suite of purpose built workshops and computer rooms.

Curriculum

In the First and Second Years, pupils enjoy a highly innovative and varied curriculum, encompassing elements of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM), electronics, programmable hardware, workshop skills, and prototype development.

The Third Year course focuses on developing the practical and design skills they will need for the GCSE course. It introduces an extended range of materials and processes, and delivers taught theory in a range of areas, to increase the knowledge base of pupils considering taking the subject forward. It also seeks to build the independence of thought and product development skills needed for success at GCSE and beyond.

At GCSE we follow the OCR syllabus in Design and Technology, allowing boys to specialise in either Design Engineering or Product Design. This gives pupils with different interests and skillsets the opportunity to benefit from the Design and Technology experience, and develop the “soft skills” mentioned above.

At AS and A Level, we follow the OCR specification in Design Engineering. This rigorous course allows boys aspiring to higher-level study in Engineering or a similar field to apply their Mathematics and Physics knowledge to solve real-world problems. It places an emphasis on the technical, whilst still developing the project-based skillset so often lacking in Engineering applicants.