The power of making at Oastlers School
Published 20th March 2026
Chris Davis, design and technology leader at Oastlers School in Bradford, has witnessed first-hand the transformative power of design and technology in the classroom. Since opening in 2013, Oastlers has welcomed students with complex needs, all of whom have an EHCP with behaviour as their primary area of support. The school’s philosophy is simple yet powerful: provide students with the same opportunities as their peers in mainstream settings.
Small class sizes, paired teaching, and a specialist behaviour team create a safe and positive environment, allowing students to engage fully with a broad curriculum. For Chris, this environment has been crucial in enabling design and technology to become more than just a subject, it has become a therapeutic space for exploration and creativity.
From curiosity to confidence
When older students joined the school mid-year, many had previously struggled to access D&T. Their first project was a guitar, crafted from laser-cut ply and softwood, complete with personalised designs and functioning frets. The engagement was immediate. Students stayed behind at break and lunch, practising filing their frets, motivated by the hands-on process rather than traditional academic pressures. This spark of interest often marked the first time some of these young people felt confident in a classroom setting.
Achievements and inspiration
Oastlers students have gone on to remarkable success. From early GCSE trailblazers achieving Level 4, 5, and 6 grades to award-winning entries in competitions such as Interbuild and Bradford Manufacturing Week, the outcomes demonstrate both skill and imagination. Projects have ranged from devices simulating colour deficiency to sustainable inventions that repurpose everyday materials for social good.
Chris’s leadership has not gone unnoticed. In 2025, he received the AssetTagz Excellence Award for Outstanding Secondary Subject Leadership at the D&T Association Excellence Awards. For teachers, Oastlers exemplifies how a carefully structured, hands-on D&T curriculum can ignite creativity, foster resilience, and transform students’ confidence.
Teachers can access the PDF version of this article, featured in DT Practice 1 2026 below and download their digital copy of the magazine here.
