School design and technology lessons are 'out of date'

The findings come from a report by Ofsted that suggests that a lack of specific training for teachers or a failure to expand on their initial training is undermining efforts to develop pupils’ knowledge and skills.

‘Most pupils in the schools visited enjoyed designing and making products and seeing their ideas take shape,’ said Ofsted chief inspector Christine Gilbert. ’Achievement and provision in D&T was best where up-to-date technologies were used and explained accurately. But the variation between the best and weakest provision is unacceptably wide.’

In more than a quarter of primary schools and about half the secondary schools visited, there were insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop knowledge of modern materials, electronic systems and control and CAD/CAM.

As a result, the take-up of GCSE courses in electronics and in systems and control in the schools was low, reflecting the national picture.

According to the report, this is in stark contrast to other countries, such as China and France, which emphasise the study of electronics and robotics, for example.