Queen Elizabeth Grammar School have been awarded a grant of £26,500 by the Wolfson Foundation to provide state of the art technology facilities for ‘Computer Aided Design’ and ‘Computer Aided Making’ equipment through their Design Technology department.
The initial application was submitted in December 2019 and was successful in getting through the first round of the process. The method of applying to the Wolfson Foundation, who supported the school in 2014 with a grant for technology for the languages department, is a competitive one, and involves two stages.
The second stage application was then submitted earlier this year following feedback from the foundation. The application’s author, Assistant Headteacher Rob Dawson said, “We were pleased to get through the first round as all of the indications were that there had been a very high number of applications. The feedback from our assigned contact at the Wolfson Foundation was really helpful, and we were quietly confident when the second round application went in. Because of the coronavirus situation, we had to submit an additional update in late April”. He went on to say, “When I found out we had been successful it was great news, this investment will make a huge difference to the DT department”.
The money will be used to provide a second laser cutter, a 3D printer, and computers for the design and programming stages of projects across all year groups at the school. This kind of technology is expensive, and without this vital financial support, the school would not be able to upgrade its facilities in this way.
The Head of Technology, Fraser Wilson, and the school’s IT team have begun the task of sourcing and installing the equipment, which the school hopes to have in place early in the autumn term. Mr Wilson said, “There is quite a lot to do to set up the technical machines themselves, but the difference it will make to the scope of our projects, especially at exam level, will be vast”.
Headteacher Paul Buckland was delighted to learn that the bid had been successful, and added that, “This outcome is an excellent result for QEGS and ensures that our Design Technology department will remain at the forefront of this vital curriculum area for years to come. The new equipment will be of great benefit for students across the year groups and Mr Dawson is to be commended for his hard work in bringing in this significant funding.”
