NAAIDT: NAAIDT Leadership and Management Database: Group Sizes for Design and Technology in Secondary Schools

Group Sizes for Design and Technology in Secondary Schools
NAAIDT
Submitted by: Geoff Howard

Under 5s	Leadership	Policy	ICT
Reception	Professional Development	Development Planning	Product Design
KS1	Resources	Schemes of Work	Graphics
KS2	Health and Safety	Teaching Strategies	Food Technology
KS3	Monitoring	Business	Textiles Technology
KS4	Assessment and Examinations	Research	Systems and Control
Post 16	Reporting	Equal Opportunities	Serendipity

Design and technology in secondary schools has evolved against an established custom and practice of a maximum group size of 20. In modern design and technology teaching there is a clear tendency towards smaller scale work in a broader range of lighter materials. There remains however, the need to create a safe working environment for children and to take the management decisions most likely to promote high standards.

Heads of department must exercise responsibility appropriate to their position as part of the management structure in a school. They should provide senior managers with specialist advice and be mindful of whole school issues that may impinge upon their particular needs and circumstances. It would be too simplistic therefore to demand adherence to some arbitrary figure for the maximum number of pupils in a D&T lesson. A more intelligent approach is to consider the various arguments, assess the risk and then identify a strategy to deal with situations that may be deemed unsatisfactory.

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