Pearson Schools Blog

Authored by Maddie Short, Programmes Lead, Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation

Authored by Dee Reid, founder of Catch Up

As of March 2022, women made up 16.5% of all engineers in the UK, compared to the 10.5% reported in 2010¹. While we may be tempted to say the jump from 1 in 10 engineers being women to 1 in 7 shows progress, these figures still reflect the fact that the number of female engineering students persistently sits below 20% in higher education (HE). Much has been written about the myriad ways in which people have tried to address this issue and yet stubbornly these statistics – and their impact upon minority groups – prevails.

Throughout history, musical instruments have traditionally been designed for performers with a clear assumption in mind: every individual has two hands, ten fingers and equal functionality across those digits. This bias towards non-disabled performers has typically made certain instruments and musical styles inaccessible to musicians who do not satisfy these prescriptive criteria.

Since the start of the national curriculum, food has been part of Design and Technology (D&T). But with a potential review of the subject likely to be incoming – and the majority of teachers saying they want food to be separated from D&T – is it time to explore alternatives for the way schools impart important skills and knowledge in food and nutrition?

Embracing Sustainability: University of Sussex's Product Design degree program is leading the way

A future for higher education Engineering in the UK

King College London (KCL) boasts an engineering degree course that is rethinking how students are prepared for their eventual career in the industry. Claire Lucas, Professor of Engineering teaching and learning, was kind enough to open the doors on the undergraduate programme being developed, that might inspire teachers of design and technology to rethink how best to prepare students for an engineering degree pathway, if not through the vocational qualification route.

Today's young people are grappling with a rapidly changing world, confronting complex issues that range from climate change and conflict to the aftermath of the Covid pandemic.

With the World Health Organization reporting that depression, anxiety and behavioural disorders are among the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents, the call to equip young people with effective tools and supportive strategies is urgent.  

Spanning the revolutionary to the quirky, British ingenuity has brought the world a range of innovations, from the first locomotive and telephone, to recent inventions like the Dyson, and Trunki suitcases.