When I visited Oundle School as a prospective pupil, I was instantly sold on the scale and variety of equipment to which pupils and staff at the School have access, ranging from an assortment of drills, 3D printers and sanding machines all the way to lathes, CNC machines and plasma cutters. The number of different tools that can be accessed is outstanding.
The Patrick Engineering Centre is split into 3 main areas: 4 Design Engineering and Product Design classrooms, the main workshop area and a multi-use large projects area. Furthermore, Oundle is one of the few schools that is able to 3D print in any material. I could go on and on about the PEC’s facilities and equipment but none of it would work without the competent team of teachers, specialist technical instructors and workshop staff that keep pupils safe in the workshop as well as educating us on the different materials and manufacturing techniques in use in the workshop. I can’t say much more about what I’ve been learning as I haven’t had that many lessons yet, but from my perspective as a pupil having not taken Design and Technology as an IGCSE subject, the Patrick Engineering Centre provides pupils of all ages with the ability to learn practically and explore their interests.
When I first started D&T at the start of this year, I was quite shocked by the fact that pupils in the Sixth Form were allowed to use most tools in the workshop without adult supervision, albeit they need to attend a demonstration and take a safety test before being allowed to use each machine. There is a massive amount of trust being placed in pupils to keep themselves safe and- all their fingers intact. One of the benefits of this is that it allows pupils to pursue D&T related projects outside of class time, which opens the doors for pupils to create and work on projects of their own design. This is why the PEC has a dedicated area for large and/or long-term projects. Some pupils, as well as teachers, opt to work on anything from woodworking to real cars.
Oundle School has had a long history with engineering, beginning when former Headmaster F.W. Sanderson overhauled Oundle’s educational programme. He introduced new facilities such as laboratories, workshops, an observatory and even a foundry (a facility for producing metal castings) which caught the attention of many pupils who were not interested in a conventional education for the time which would have consisted of languages, history and literature. During this era, Oundle
School’s Engineering Department undertook many projects, notably, building a “reversing engine for a 4,000-horsepower marine engine” in 1905, while during the First World War, it was converted into a munitions shop.
After asking one of my D&T teachers – Mr Vincent – a few questions, he had a lot of good things to say about the PEC. What brought him to Oundle School was its already strong reputation as well as excellent D&T facilities. Furthermore, one of his favourite aspects of the PEC and being a teacher is being able to watch pupils “tackle real-world problems, whether that be designing sustainable products, creating prototypes that could help in everyday life, or developing innovative solutions with new materials.” Another positive of the PEC he mentioned was that the building really feels like a professional environment, giving pupils access to machinery and tools like 3D printers and CAD software that prepare them well for industry. Moreover, in terms of how D&T allows pupils to explore their passion for engineering or product design, D&T gives pupils the “freedom to experiment and take ownership of their ideas”, encouraging them to “ask ‘what if’ questions, test designs, and refine their work”. This approach to D&T closely replicates what professionals do, preparing them well for this career path if they feel it’s what they want to pursue.
In summary, the PEC is an amazing facility for budding engineers and designers to implement their ideas, especially in the Sixth Form, while also ensuring pupils remain safe while working, through clear instruction and demonstrations of how to use different machines as well as creating an environment where pupils aren’t afraid to ask questions. This produces a hazard-free space where pupils have the freedom to bring their ideas to life and learn more about D&T through practical work.
