D&T Subject Leader scoops up prestigious award at the Design and Technology Association Excellence Awards 2024
Fantastic news coming from Shiremoor Primary School this week!
Amanda Crawford, Subject Leader of the Design and Technology Department, was awarded the ‘The Enginuity Excellence Award for Outstanding Primary Subject Leadership’ at the prestigious Design and Technology Association Excellence Awards 2024.
Understandably, everyone at Shiremoor is bursting with pride at Amanda’s achievement – and we are, too! Amanda collected her award in Leamington Spa earlier this month.
Tony Ryan, CEO of the Design and Technology Association, recognised Amanda’s achievement, saying: “Amanda is to be congratulated on her well-deserved award and celebrated for going above and beyond what might be expected in her contributions to supporting the subject of design and technology.
“We know that employers across the advanced manufacturing and creative industries are already concerned about the real shortage of engineers and designers, and we need more people like Amanda to inspire future generations of young people.”
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: “Heartfelt congratulations to Amanda and Shiremoor Primary School. This is brilliant recognition for brilliant work, and we look forward to seeing what else she can achieve in this role.”
Assisting other teachers with building their own skills
Amanda took over the design and technology department three years ago, and has since transformed it into a key part of the school’s curriculum. Thanks to her efforts and expertise, students now enjoy a dynamic and engaging programme that not only offers critical knowledge, but is also fun to take part in!
She doesn’t just keep these skills to herself, either. Amanda has worked with the Design & Technology Association and secondary schools to enhance her abilities and provide staff training; she offers weekly support to teachers and regularly gathers feedback to refine the curriculum.
Recognising staff’s initial lack of confidence, Amanda developed a tailored scheme of work and training videos to help teachers build the necessary skills. She conducts annual audits of resources and staff confidence to ensure effective teaching.
Amanda has also integrated D&T with other subjects, linking maths to the extensive cookery programme she introduced, which sees all year groups cooking each term. This even includes outdoor cookery, promoting scientific understanding and wellbeing.
Her improvements in the D&T curriculum have made a significant impact
It’s safe to say that Amanda is making a huge impact on pupil learning! Her after-school cookery club is popular, and she provides students with D&T kits for family projects, with sewing being particularly well-received. Where do we sign up?
Under her leadership, hands-on projects like the Goblin car programme and the Year 6 mini-enterprise initiative have flourished, with students using tools such as 3D printers and Circuit machines. Amanda also collaborates with local secondary schools to connect D&T to career opportunities.
All of this effort is going a long, long way to making a real difference, and that’s the main thing.The improvements in the D&T curriculum from nursery to Year 6 have made a significant impact, and students are enthusiastic about their learning. Plus, governors are impressed by the strong foundation Amanda has established for their future education.
Barbara Middleton, Head Teacher of Shiremoor Primary School, said: “As the Head Teacher of Shiremoor Primary School, I was thrilled that our hard work, over a number of years, has been recognised.
“Amanda has led the subject extremely well but all members of staff have had to be committed to the significant investment we have made in Design Technology. It is great to see the love that children have for this subject and that they are starting to make links to future careers.”
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