The Design and Technology Association

✨ There’s not long left to get your ticket for The Big D&T Meet 2026!

📅 Friday 10th July 2026

One day, endless inspiration.

Be part of a brilliant day dedicated to design and technology, bringing people together from across the community to share ideas, spark new thinking and celebrate everything that makes the subject so powerful.

Expect practical classroom inspiration, meaningful conversations, fresh perspectives and the chance to connect with teachers and organisations who are shaping the future of design and technology.

Whether you’re looking for new ideas, valuable professional development or simply time to reconnect with your D&T community, this is a day you won’t want to miss.

🎟️ Tickets are available now, secure your place today: tinyurl.com/ybmpv6uw

🧵 Refresh your textiles practice this summer with hands-on CPD in Banbury

Looking to build confidence, sharpen practical techniques or bring fresh ideas back into your department? The Textiles Skills Centre is running two practical CPD days this July, created for teachers, technicians and support staff working across textiles and design and technology.

✂️ Essential Manufacturing Skills
Master sewing, construction, machine threading, troubleshooting, and create classroom-ready resources.
8th July 2026 | 09:30 - 15:30
Book your place 🔗 tinyurl.com/yck2ader

🌟 Fabric Manipulation Skills
Explore folds, pleats, smocking, ruffles, Shibori and more, building practical samples to take straight into your classroom.
9th July 2026 | 09:30 - 15:30
Book your place 🔗 tinyurl.com/485yrhn6

Whether you're strengthening existing expertise or developing new practical skills, these sessions offer valuable takeaways to support engaging learning across KS3 to KS5.

Today, on International Women in Engineering Day, we’re celebrating the women whose ideas, innovation and engineering continue to shape how we live, move, communicate and create.

From infrastructure to materials, product design to emerging technologies, women in engineering are solving problems, improving lives and opening up new possibilities for future generations.

Here’s to recognising their impact and making sure more young women can see engineering as a place where they belong.

🏛️ Plaster is all around us, but how often is it explored in design and technology classrooms?

A feature in Desining 133 from The Worshipful Company of Plaisterers, highlights how this everyday material can help students investigate design, manufacturing and materials science through hands on experimentation.

From casting and carving to exploring pathways into construction and conservation, discover how plaster can connect classroom learning to real world careers.

Read the full article and bring a fresh material focus into your teaching 🔗 tinyurl.com/2pmdphtd

🎭✨ Following attendance at the Royal Ballet And Opera Schools Design Challenge Awards Day, Lol Conway shared reflections on an inspiring celebration of creativity, innovation and young talent.

Lol highlighted the value of authentic, industry-connected experiences in helping students build confidence, develop transferable skills and see where their creativity could lead.

Read the full article to explore Lol’s key takeaways 🔗 tinyurl.com/yyjcn7dc

🎶 Making music more accessible this Make Music Day UK

For teachers marking Make Music Day UK, this feature spotlights how digital music tools are opening up creative opportunities for all students in the classroom.

From playful interaction by Playtronica to inclusive design thinking from Salsus Design and Digit Audio, including the Cmpsr Music Controller, accessibility and creativity are coming together in powerful ways.

Read the full article to find out more 🔗 tinyurl.com/4x7zu72k

Yesterday, Ryan Ball attended Bournemouth University’s annual Festival of Design & Engineering, a celebration of creativity, innovation and the next generation of designers and engineers.

Across three days, final year students showcased outstanding work in product design, design engineering and mechanical engineering, sharing the thinking, iteration and technical skills behind their projects. Ryan highlighted several standout projects recognised with industry awards, with many students now preparing to take their work to New Designers next month.

A valuable reminder for design and technology teachers of the power of seeing real-world design and engineering in action and helping students explore future pathways.

Read the full article to discover Ryan’s highlights 🔗 tinyurl.com/4cp4668w

Build a stronger KS3 curriculum with industry at its heart 🔧✨

Join this full-day, face-to-face course to explore practical approaches to creating a rigorous, knowledge-rich and context-led KS3 design and technology curriculum using Inspired by Industry from the Design & Technology Association.

🔹 Planning KS3 Curriculum with Inspired by Industry
📅 13th October 2026
⏰ 09:30 - 16:30
Register your place 🔗 tinyurl.com/2kzyerhe

Ideal for subject leaders, Heads of Department and teachers shaping curriculum planning, this course offers practical models, fresh thinking and clear next steps to strengthen progression into KS4.

Book a place today!

💡 What does a degree apprenticeship really look like in practice?

Lenga, an electromechanical engineering degree apprentice with e.on and the University of Nottingham, shares how combining study with real industry projects is helping shape his future, from hands-on engineering to contributing to sustainable energy solutions in London ⚡🌍

For design and technology teachers, his story offers a powerful way to bring careers conversations to life and show students exciting pathways beyond traditional routes.

🎥 Read the full article and watch Lenga’s video to explore how degree apprenticeships can inspire your classroom 🔗 tinyurl.com/349vrmrw