New Blades is an annual model-making exhibition and recruitment fair held in London each year, showcasing the work of graduating students from various UK universities and colleges. It's a key event for connecting emerging talent in the model-making industry with employers and professionals. The event is organized by 4D Modelshop, a major supplier to British model makers. 

This is the first time the Design & Technology Association has attended this exhibition but it certainly won’t be the last. In this podcast we talk with students, university lecturers and industry professionals as we seek to follow each student interviewed on their journey from inspiration, through school and university, to a career in architecture, film and other exciting related industries. 

This podcast was recorded in a crowded exhibition on mobile recording equipment, I believe it successfully captures the excitement and bustle of a crowded centre, but the sound may not be on a par with our usual standard; I hope you can appreciate why.

We reference many of the student models on show in our conversations, these can be seen in their full glory through this link:

https://www.designtechnology.org.uk/news/new-blades-2025-celebrates-the-next-generation-of-modelmakers/

Huge thanks to Arachne.digital your cyber threat intelligence platform for their support that makes these podcasts possible. Contact them for a free appraisal of your school’s cyber security. 

This is a very different venture for Designed for Life.  It’s one we are keen to replicate should you, the listener feel it appropriate. We would really appreciate your feedback, positive or otherwise to [email protected]

The Smallpeice Trust is a charity dedicated to inspiring young people to explore careers in science and engineering. It was founded in 1966 by the British engineer and entrepreneur Dr. Cosby Smallpeice (who invented the Smallpeice Lathe). The trust exists to help young people turn their passion and ideas into reality.

In 1991, a group of committed headteachers came together, motivated by the conviction that Design & Technology was not receiving the profile it deserved as an incubator for future innovators, engineers, and technical designers (how I wish times had changed), and the Arkwright Engineering Scholarships began. 

In 2001, the Arkwright Engineering Scholarships programme was transferred to the Smallpeice Trust, with the two organisations officially merging on 4 January 2018.

Helen Cuthill assumed the role of CEO of the Smallpeice Trust in November 2023. Helen arrived with a diverse background of experiences and an excellent track record in the not-for-profit sector. She has exceptional strategic capabilities, proven operational effectiveness, and substantial experience within the charity sector. She has an innovative and community-driven work ethic, blending purpose with enjoyment and a sense of fun.

In this podcast, we follow Helen’s somewhat unorthodox route to CEO at Smallpeice, discuss the impact that dyslexia has had on her schooling and career to date; her email footer reads as below:

I’m #MadeByDyslexia – expect BIG thinking and SMALL typos. It helps me to send and receive emails that use short paragraphs and highlighted requests.

We discuss how she is working to make the work of the Smallpeice Trust, specifically the Arkwright Scholarships, more inclusive to all by bringing opportunities to young people rather than waiting for them to come to Smallpeice.

This is a very full conversation with a sector leader who is 100% authentic and is willing to be vulnerable as she and the organisation seek to progress. I loved the conversation, and I believe you will too. 

So, sit back, listen wherever you have the time and with an open mind, and enjoy‘'Designed for Life’' in conversation with Smallpeice Trust CEO Helen Cuthill.

https://www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk/

British Dyslexia Association - https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/dyslexia/about-dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia

Many people familiar with this podcast will recognise the name 'F1 in Schools', a design, teamwork and engineering challenge that has existed in schools for over two decades. Some of you will have competed in either regional or, if you are fortunate enough, national finals. Others...I want to say the elite few, as getting there is some achievement, will have made it to the world finals, held to coincide with an F1 race somewhere in the world and closely aligned to the FIA. 

I would suggest very few of you know just how this design and engineering challenge came about, how it has grown and constantly exceeded expectations and just who is the founder, Andrew Denford and what drives him to keep pushing this challenge to greater heights. 

Finally, why has such a seemingly brilliantly branded initiative recently changed its name and branding from 'F1 in Schools' to 'STEM Racing'? 

This episode will bring the answer to all these queries, and more as we bring Andrew Denford, Chief Executive Officer of Denford Ltd., and Founder of Stem Racing back to school and then follow his journey into engineering, taking over the family business at a relatively early age, and how he got the idea that racing a small but carefully precision engineered CO2 powered car down a twenty metre track at speed may be something that schools and colleges might buy into. 

It's a great story, filled with a few twists and tales that I know you'll enjoy. So sit back and enjoy, Designed for Life - In conversation with Denford CEO and Founder of STEM Racing, Andrew Denford. 

https://www.stemracing.com/

This podcast is brought to you with the assistance of our sponsors https://www.arachne.digital/ Your cyber threat intelligence platform for empowered protection. 

In this episode, we focus on primary education, specifically design and technology education in the primary phase. Our guest in this episode is Senior Lecturer in Primary Education at St.Mary's University, Twickenham, Janine Pavlis. 

In recent years, we at the Design & Technology Association have seen significant growth in our primary membership categories, as schools (driven by Ofsted requirements) seek to broaden their curriculum offer to include design and technology across Key Stages One and Two. 

Our research suggests that the average primary teacher (and D&T Coordinator) is usually out of their depth in planning and delivering a subject that is often alien and unfamiliar to them. It should be remembered that primary teachers are asked to deliver a broad and diverse curriculum, of which D&T is only part of the picture. The majority of primary teachers in our research hold a humanities or English degree certificate, and for many, their last encounter with STEM-related topics was during their own school days.  

Teacher training details now vary across establishments, but many teachers surveyed suggested that their D&T training during their PGCE training amounted to half a day or six hours at most. From this training, teachers are expected to read, understand, plan and deliver an exciting and engaging curriculum offer for their students. 

In this podcast, we discuss Janine's unusual journey to primary teaching, specifically her approach to delivering Design and Technology (D&T) to her students. We discuss how St.Mary's offer to postgraduate students is different, not just in its content, but also in its philosophy, and we also discuss how helpful (or otherwise) the STEM label is to the development and growth of D&T at the primary level. 

I loved delving into a sector that is doing so well with D&T delivery at the moment and speaking with an educator who is a true expert in the subject. So sit back, get those headphones on and listen to Designed for Life, in conversation with Janine Pavlis.  

Janine's Website Bio: https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/staff-directory/janine-pavlis

Janine's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/janine-pavlis123

Some of the work that Janine is currently involved with:

• Roles & Contributions:
  - Advisor in Primary D&T 
  - Writer & EdD Researcher exploring primary teachers’ lived experiences and     their motivation to teach
  - Reviewer for the D&T International Journal 
  - Committee Member of the Design and Technology Teacher Educator Group
  - Lead of the D&T Primary Teacher Educator Hub

         - Lead researcher for the STEM Education and Research Hub at St Mary's                     University

• Current Research Interests:

    - The challenges in primary STEM education
    - The intersection of motherhood and academia
    - The future of D&T education in England

With huge thanks to Arachne.digital, whose sponsorship makes this podcast possible. For a free consultation and assessment of your school's cybersecurity, contact https://www.arachne.digital/, mentioning Designed for Life

Dr Aakeen Parikh is a mechanical engineer with a background in research, design, sustainable technologies, and social impact. She currently works as the Project Manager for the Vehicle Future Hub at Imperial College London. Aakeen discovered engineering through her passion for product design, and she has worked on numerous projects over the years. Aakeen is passionate about increasing diversity, access, equality, and retention of women in engineering. She is on the advisory board for education charity Project Access and is an ambassador for the Queen Elizabeth’s Prize for Engineering. In 2024, Aakeen was awarded the WISE100 Women in Enterprise award as the ‘Equality and Empowerment’ Champion. 

Alongside her current roles, Aakeen is the founder and director of The Minazi Impact, a social enterprise dedicated to promoting sustainable development and reducing global inequality through engineering and design. Minazi’s most notable project, the Banana Fibre Sanitary Pad project, involved designing reusable sanitary pads with an absorbent core made from waste banana fibres. The project won the 2023 RSA Catalyst Award and further recognition at the Ripple Effect Conference 2024. This project demonstrates a viable, alternative, sustainable future pathway for sanitary products, whilst creating economic growth and upcycling agricultural waste. Read more here: https://theminaziimpact.co.uk/

This is a great conversation that I know you will love. So grab 50 minutes of 'me time' and listen to Designed for Life—In Conversation with Dr. Aakeen Parikh.

This podcast is brought to you with the support of Arachne.digital. The Cyber Threat Intelligence Platform for Empowered Protection. Reach out now and get a free analysis of your school's cybersecurity www.arachne.digital  

In this, the second episode of a two-part mini-series, we continue exploring the journey of school design and technology leaders and departments as we visit and speak with staff, students, and parents at Simon Langton Boys' Grammar School in Canterbury, Kent. 

Before anyone assumes this is a story of overprivileged students enjoying an experience facilitated by wealth and connections, please be aware that this is not the case. This department has been carefully crafted from the ground up with a limited budget. It now has over 200 students studying design and technology at GCSE, alongside a mixed-gender, large, and growing sixth form.

The school has achieved huge success in F1 in Schools, winning the National competition, which enabled students to represent the UK in the World Finals. This, alongside other opportunities, is part of an extensive extra-curricular offer presented to Langton students. 

We recorded over a full day in school, and there was so much good content that it was impossible to edit it into a single podcast. Therefore, we have decided to break this into two podcasts, released in close succession. If you haven't listened to part one yet, I suggest you go back and do so, as the recording has a sequence. 

So sit back, grab a moment or two to yourself and listen to Part Two of Designed for Life, in conversation with the Simon Langton Boys Grammar School in Kent. 

We thank our sponsors, Arachne  Digital, your cyber threat intelligence platform for empowered protection. https://www.arachne.digital/

Follow The Langton Boys D&T Department on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/langtondesign/?hl=en

In this episode, we continue exploring the journey of school design and technology leaders and departments as we visit and talk with staff, students, and parents at the Simon Langton Boys Grammar School in Canterbury, Kent. 

Before anyone decides this is a story of overprivileged students enjoying an experience created by money and connections, please know this is not the case. This department has been carefully crafted from the ground up with a limited budget and now has over two hundred students studying design and technology at GCSE and a mixed-gender, large, and growing sixth form.

The school has had huge success at F1 in Schools, winning the National competition, which allowed students to represent the UK in the World Finals. This, alongside other opportunities, is part of an extensive extra-curricular offer presented to Langton students. 

We recorded over a full day in school, and there was so much good content that it was impossible to edit it into one podcast, so we have decided to break this into two podcasts that will be released in close succession. 

So sit back, grab a moment or two to yourself and listen to Part One of Designed for Life, in conversation with the Simon Langton Boys Grammar School in Kent. 

We thank our sponsors, Arachne  Digital, your cyber threat intelligence platform for empowered protection. https://www.arachne.digital/

Follow The Langton Boys D&T Department on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/langtondesign/?hl=en

This is a big episode for Designed for Life, as we proudly reach number 100! We are delighted to have Dean Kamen, an American engineer, inventor, and businessman, on the show. Dean is known for his inventions of the Segway, iBOT, and Slingshot (a water purification system) and for founding what he proudly calls his greatest invention, FIRST. 

In this episode, we investigate the mindset of a serial inventor to discuss what drives a high-school student to set up a business that yields $60,000 before he finishes school and then pushes him to overcome design challenges, legislation, and the challenges posed by naysayers as he follows his belief that engineering can be a power for good. 

Chris Hatherall is the principal of Warrington UTC, a design and technology teacher, and a Design & Technology Association Trustee. Last year, he came across FIRST and set up a robotics challenge for his local primary schools, which was hugely successful. This year, the challenge has spread to more UTC's nationally and is open to primary colleagues nationally through this network. 

From small beginnings, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Technology) has become a global challenge, with events across multiple countries and nearly three million students competing. Dean's vision was to harness the passion seen openly for sporting events held in large stadiums with hugely competitive students and turn this into one of the world's biggest and most exciting STEM activities. 

2025 is the 35th year of FIRST activities. Last year's competition saw 3,468 teams enter, including almost 87,000 students and 27,700 mentors across 28 countries, including the USA, Canada, China, and Turkey. It is an open competition open to all, and while it is truly competitive, it emphasises the need for collaboration, respect, and teamwork. 

It seems appropriate that we welcome a new sponsor to Designed for Life for our 100th episode. Welcome to Arachne.digital, who have joined the show with an offer to help schools, charities, and public institutions protect against global cyber threats. We are delighted to welcome them on board. 

So, without further ado, grab an hour to yourself and listen to Designed for Life—In Conversation with Dean Kamen and Chris Hatherall.  

https://www.experiential.bot/get-started

https://www.firstinspires.org/

To hear a seven-year-old girl's perspective on FIRST, follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igR409sJly0

[email protected]

https://www.arachne.digital/

How do you build a successful design & technology department from the ground up with an entirely new staff? What curriculum changes should you make at KS3, KS4 and KS5 to ensure you stretch and challenge what are undoubtedly very bright students? What physical changes can you make to the department's look, feel and function when the budget is tight but you want to improve how students and parents view the subject? What role can external visitors and competitions play in building a successful curriculum offer and delivery?

These are all questions that will be tackled in the latest episode of Designed for Life as we head to where Kent touches London in Orpington and talk with staff and students from Newstead Wood School - Sunday Times Schools Guide, State Secondary School of the Year, London, 2025.  

In the podcast, we talk to the Headteacher and other senior staff about the role that D&T plays in providing a broad and balanced curriculum. We also speak with Natalie Cameron, Head of Department, about her journey from this part of Kent to China and Singapore, what pulled her back to her origins, and the leadership challenge she has taken on at Newstead Wood.

We speak with students from Year 7 to Year 13 about their experience of Design & Technology, why creativity and the knowledge, skills, and personal attributes obtained within the subject are essential to them, and perhaps most importantly, why D&T is fun!

So please sit back, grab an hour to yourself, and join me as Designed for Life visits Newstead Wood School https://www.newsteadwood.co.uk/

https://www.designtechnology.org.uk/news/designed-for-life-newstead-wood-school/

In this episode, we are delighted to welcome Marisa Kurimbokus, who was announced as the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2024 at the end of last year. 

In the podcast, we follow Marisa's journey from primary school, where a teacher dropped what I can only assume was a casual comment, but it is one that sticks with her to this day. Through secondary school, where Marisa describes her journey through a range of subjects, including A Level design and technology. And chauffeuring her friend to a lecture only for serendipity to step in and have other ideas. 

We first met Marisa when she was with Triumph Motorcycles. She was then a design engineer helping to organise and run the now sadly defunct Triumph Design Awards. She takes us through her career journey, which has been wide and varied, working in various sectors before arriving at her current role as Head of Engineering at Raeon. 

Finally, we discuss the recently awarded IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year accolade and how Marisa wants to use the spotlight this affords her to encourage more young women to be brave and explore a career in engineering. 

In the conversation you will hear Marisa's passion for what she does, which comes across in bucket loads. I know you will enjoy this conversation, so sit back, grab the dog for a walk or take us on your commute as you listen to Designed for Life in conversation with Marisa Kurimbokus.

https://www.raeon.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisa-kurimbokus-fwes-ceng-imeche/

https://youngwomenengineer.theiet.org/