By Mrs Redfern (By Head of Design and Technology)

Last weekend 38 students for Years 9- Upper Sixth travelled to Paris to attend DT Expo Live! Hosted at the iconic Disneyland Paris. 

We were lucky enough to include a day of sightseeing in Paris, which included a study of architectural sites and a wonderful river cruise on the Seine. We were treated to impressive panoramic views of the whole of Paris from the 56th floor of the Montparnasse Tower.

At DT Live! we were inspired by presentations from key speakers including  Professor Brendan Walker aka the Thrill Engineer and Noma Agrawal, the female engineer who helped to design the structure of the Shard. 

The incredible presentation by the Thrill Engineer explored how understanding how the human body functions enables engineers to design rides to give us thrills, allowing designers to maximise the guest experience but keep manufacturing costs down. We were all fascinated by his presentation, and many used this knowledge to change their own personal thoughts of some of the Disneyland Paris rides – who knew that roller coasters are structured in the same way as a human inner ear!

The trip provided a unique opportunity for the students to extend their knowledge and explore design and technology from a number of different perspectives. They were treated to presentations from world renowned experts and I was impressed by their levels of engagement. The students were wonderful ambassadors for the school and it was lovely to see new friendships develop as they shared new experiences. A busy but very worthwhile few days. I am excited to see the influences inspire our curriculum study.