The Smallpeice Trust is a charity dedicated to inspiring young people to explore careers in science and engineering. It was founded in 1966 by the British engineer and entrepreneur Dr. Cosby Smallpeice (who invented the Smallpeice Lathe). The trust exists to help young people turn their passion and ideas into reality.

In 1991, a group of committed headteachers came together, motivated by the conviction that Design & Technology was not receiving the profile it deserved as an incubator for future innovators, engineers, and technical designers (how I wish times had changed), and the Arkwright Engineering Scholarships began.

In 2001, the Arkwright Engineering Scholarships programme was transferred to the Smallpeice Trust, with the two organisations officially merging on 4 January 2018.

Helen Cuthill assumed the role of CEO of the Smallpeice Trust in November 2023. Helen arrived with a diverse background of experiences and an excellent track record in the not-for-profit sector. She has exceptional strategic capabilities, proven operational effectiveness, and substantial experience within the charity sector. She has an innovative and community-driven work ethic, blending purpose with enjoyment and a sense of fun.

In this podcast, we follow Helen’s somewhat unorthodox route to CEO at Smallpeice, discuss the impact that dyslexia has had on her schooling and career to date; her email footer reads as below:

I’m #MadeByDyslexia – expect BIG thinking and SMALL typos. It helps me to send and receive emails that use short paragraphs and highlighted requests.

We discuss how she is working to make the work of the Smallpeice Trust, specifically the Arkwright Scholarships, more inclusive to all by bringing opportunities to young people rather than waiting for them to come to Smallpeice.

This is a very full conversation with a sector leader who is 100% authentic and is willing to be vulnerable as she and the organisation seek to progress. I loved the conversation, and I believe you will too.

So, sit back, listen wherever you have the time and with an open mind, and enjoy‘'Designed for Life’' in conversation with Smallpeice Trust CEO Helen Cuthill.

https://www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk/

British Dyslexia Association - https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/dyslexia/about-dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia

Many people familiar with this podcast will recognise the name 'F1 in Schools', a design, teamwork and engineering challenge that has existed in schools for over two decades. Some of you will have competed in either regional or, if you are fortunate enough, national finals. Others...I want to say the elite few, as getting there is some achievement, will have made it to the world finals, held to coincide with an F1 race somewhere in the world and closely aligned to the FIA.

I would suggest very few of you know just how this design and engineering challenge came about, how it has grown and constantly exceeded expectations and just who is the founder, Andrew Denford and what drives him to keep pushing this challenge to greater heights.

Finally, why has such a seemingly brilliantly branded initiative recently changed its name and branding from 'F1 in Schools' to 'STEM Racing'?

This episode will bring the answer to all these queries, and more as we bring Andrew Denford, Chief Executive Officer of Denford Ltd., and Founder of Stem Racing back to school and then follow his journey into engineering, taking over the family business at a relatively early age, and how he got the idea that racing a small but carefully precision engineered CO2 powered car down a twenty metre track at speed may be something that schools and colleges might buy into.

It's a great story, filled with a few twists and tales that I know you'll enjoy. So sit back and enjoy, Designed for Life - In conversation with Denford CEO and Founder of STEM Racing, Andrew Denford.

https://www.stemracing.com/

This podcast is brought to you with the assistance of our sponsors https://www.arachne.digital/ Your cyber threat intelligence platform for empowered protection.

In this episode, we focus on primary education, specifically design and technology education in the primary phase. Our guest in this episode is Senior Lecturer in Primary Education at St.Mary's University, Twickenham, Janine Pavlis.

In recent years, we at the Design & Technology Association have seen significant growth in our primary membership categories, as schools (driven by Ofsted requirements) seek to broaden their curriculum offer to include design and technology across Key Stages One and Two.

Our research suggests that the average primary teacher (and D&T Coordinator) is usually out of their depth in planning and delivering a subject that is often alien and unfamiliar to them. It should be remembered that primary teachers are asked to deliver a broad and diverse curriculum, of which D&T is only part of the picture. The majority of primary teachers in our research hold a humanities or English degree certificate, and for many, their last encounter with STEM-related topics was during their own school days.

Teacher training details now vary across establishments, but many teachers surveyed suggested that their D&T training during their PGCE training amounted to half a day or six hours at most. From this training, teachers are expected to read, understand, plan and deliver an exciting and engaging curriculum offer for their students.

In this podcast, we discuss Janine's unusual journey to primary teaching, specifically her approach to delivering Design and Technology (D&T) to her students. We discuss how St.Mary's offer to postgraduate students is different, not just in its content, but also in its philosophy, and we also discuss how helpful (or otherwise) the STEM label is to the development and growth of D&T at the primary level.

I loved delving into a sector that is doing so well with D&T delivery at the moment and speaking with an educator who is a true expert in the subject. So sit back, get those headphones on and listen to Designed for Life, in conversation with Janine Pavlis.

Janine's Website Bio: https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/staff-directory/janine-pavlis

Janine's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/janine-pavlis123

Some of the work that Janine is currently involved with:

• Roles & Contributions:
  - Advisor in Primary D&T
  - Writer & EdD Researcher exploring primary teachers’ lived experiences and their motivation to teach
  - Reviewer for the D&T International Journal
  - Committee Member of the Design and Technology Teacher Educator Group
  - Lead of the D&T Primary Teacher Educator Hub

- Lead researcher for the STEM Education and Research Hub at St Mary's University

• Current Research Interests:

- The challenges in primary STEM education
- The intersection of motherhood and academia
- The future of D&T education in England

With huge thanks to Arachne.digital, whose sponsorship makes this podcast possible. For a free consultation and assessment of your school's cybersecurity, contact https://www.arachne.digital/, mentioning Designed for Life