Teacher Toolkit Tuesday: Team Repair – Fix the future

Published 29th July 2025

Team Repair is a 12-week hands-on programme for pupils in Years 5–9, where they dismantle and repair real gadgets to explore design, science and sustainability.

It’s fully aligned with the design and technology curriculum and is simple for teachers to deliver, with no technical experience required.

What is Team Repair?
Team Repair gives pupils the opportunity to take apart and fix real-world products, from game consoles to remote-controlled cars. A new product is introduced every three weeks, making it ideal for STEM clubs or as a D&T project across a term. You can see the programme in action on BBC Breakfast, where pupils confidently repair and learn as a team.

Pupils develop a wide range of skills as they:

• Learn how components and systems work
• Understand how products are designed and assembled
• Build sustainable thinking by repairing instead of replacing

You can also watch their introduction video to get a better feel for what’s involved and how it supports your classroom teaching.

The story behind Team Repair
Team Repair was co-founded by Megan Hale, who studied Design Engineering at Imperial College London. Inspired by her own experiences of dismantling and repairing items at home and in the D&T workshop at school, she and her team created the programme to make repair skills more accessible to all pupils, especially those without a ‘tinkerer’ at home. Read more about the creators in issue 2 of Practice magazine 2025 and download the article as a PDF below to keep or share with your department.

What’s included in the programme
Developed through workshops with over 1,000 children and now used by hundreds of schools across the UK, Team Repair is designed to be easy to implement and highly engaging.

Each kit includes:

• A structured 12-week plan
• A new gadget to repair every three weeks
• Complete lesson plans, presentation slides and video guides
• Flexible delivery – no prior tech experience needed

Used in: STEM clubs, enrichment projects, and D&T classroom teaching.
Download a free programme taster.

The impact on pupils
The programme has proven to increase confidence, curiosity and career interest in STEM, especially among pupils who may not typically engage in hands-on technical activities.

Key findings:

• 35% of pupils said it was their first experience of repair (rising to 50% among girls)
• After the programme:
• 56% felt more confident repairing items
• 30% were more interested in STEM careers
• 20% were more drawn to jobs that benefit the planet

What teachers are saying
“A brilliant, authentic and meaningful learning opportunity.”
– Deputy Headteacher, Sofrydd Primary School

“Sparked pupils' interest in tools, repairs and how everyday objects work.”
– D&T Teacher, Berkley Academy

“None of us had a background in electronics, but the guides were clear and easy to follow.”
– Careers Leader, Meadowhead School

“A fun, practical way to connect science, technology, engineering and maths.”
– Head of Computing, Fulford School

Get started
Teachers can begin with a free teardown lesson, available to download now. Full programme kits and resources are also available to order directly.

Link to real-world design challenges

Team Repair encourages pupils to develop a problem-solving mindset and practical understanding of how products work, making it an excellent foundation for tackling more advanced design briefs.

If your pupils are ready to take on the next challenge, why not explore the Lisi Aerospace ‘Inspired by Industry’ context? This context invites pupils to consider how to reduce weight without compromising strength, a vital consideration in aerospace engineering. Building on the systems thinking, analysis and sustainability themes in Team Repair, this project stretches pupils’ thinking and links classroom learning to high-performance, real-world applications.

‘Inspired by Industry’ is completely free to access but teachers who are members of the Design & Technology Association will also benefit from exclusive member-only activities and tasks that add even more depth to your delivery.

Explore Inspired by Industry here.