Junior School pupils are fortunate to have a dedicated workshop for Design Technology and Engineering (DTE). We spoke to Harriet Billington, the DTE Technician, about the benefits of teaching DTE at KS2, the influence of her prior professional experiences, and the popular Textiles Team.
What does your role within the Junior School DTE department involve?
As well as looking after the workshop and materials, I am in all DTE lessons across the Junior School. This means I am lucky enough to be one of the few members of staff who regularly meets every single student. I support the pupils with their projects and help to develop their skillset in the workshop. One of my favourite things is seeing the pupils’ confidence grow throughout the year and watching them do things that they previously felt weren’t possible.
What was your professional background before joining Highgate?
I have quite a varied professional background, all of which now informs how I operate as the Junior School DTE Technician. I studied History at Durham University but spent most of my time there making costumes for student theatre. After graduating, I worked in Amsterdam converting a houseboat. This was my crash course in woodwork, as everything including the bath was made out of wood! After a brief time teaching English to students in Vietnam, I worked in general management in theatre which taught me how to adapt and respond to a live environment. All the while I continued to make things in my spare time, from clothes to shed conversions. I’ve enjoyed taking a portfolio career path, and it has all contributed to the unusual skillset that is required in my role.
Why do you think DTE is a beneficial subject to have on the Junior School curriculum?
One of Highgate’s academic goals is to expose pupils to things that challenge them, whatever their ability. DTE requires a different skill set and presents pupils with obstacles they might not otherwise encounter. One of the major benefits of this that I frequently see, is the confidence and resilience that the subject builds in the pupils, not just in an academic context, but also in later life. Watching them grow as they overcome barriers and supporting them to do so is one of the real pleasures of the job.
DTE allows pupils to explore a wide range of materials from a young age, from woodwork to textiles to electronics to plastics. I value this at Junior School age because pupils are introduced to materials before they have set concepts of what might have been traditionally areas “for girls” or “for boys”. Everyone gains the same practical confidence and experience, with all materials introduced equally as a valuable tool for creativity and problem-solving.
DTE is often cited as a favourite subject for many pupils. Why do you think this is?
I love to hear this! DTE is an opportunity for the pupils to be outside their typical classroom environment and use a different side of their brain. I think the Junior School pupils really enjoy this as they can explore their creative potential in a tactile manner, looking at the world around them and considering how and why things are made the way they are.
The process of making something out of nothing and producing a final product to take home is something they take a lot of pride in. We love encouraging their creative flair, so if they want to put a twist on a project or have ideas of how to change something we always try to lean into their creativity and support it. One of my favourite projects we’ve done is making wooden robots with Year 3. We are able to equip the pupils with basic woodworking skills such as using a saw and set square. It’s lovely to see their early innovation and creativity as they add everything from hair and clothes to pets and accessories to their robots.
Can you tell us a bit about your textiles club?
I’ve joined forces with Adam O’Brien (Assistant Principal, Curriculum) to run ‘Textiles Team.’ We’ve sourced four sewing machines which means that we can undertake more ambitious textiles projects. We started off with pupils learning how to get fabric in and out of the machine, controlling it safely and sewing a curve, and eventually passing their ‘Sewing Machine Driving Licence’ tests.
I was delighted to be involved in the Eco Council’s Fast Fashion Free February, helping to judge their upcycling house competition. The Textiles Team also put out a call for unwanted fabric donations which we now use in the club, currently to make drawstring bags. Now that pupils have their basic skillset, I am looking forward to facilitating student led projects to foster their independence and creativity in textiles.
To find out more about the co-curricular offerings in the Junior School, you can visit our ‘Beyond The Classroom’ page here: Beyond The Classroom.
