On the 17th of September 2021, Paul Woodward, teacher of Design and Technology at Rugby School Thailand, was awarded the Boxford award for Innovation and Creativity in Design and Technology for his outstanding contribution at the 21st Design and Technology Association Excellence Awards.
This is an annual event with a formal dinner held at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, situated on the banks of the Thames in London. The Awards recognise the commitment and achievements of teachers, teacher trainers, education consultants and academics across primary and secondary schools and further and higher education.
Nominated and voted for by peers in the education sector, the Design and Technology Association’s Excellence Awards is open to the 24,000-strong membership and non-members across England and Wales.
Typically, there are 12 categories; however, this year, we have included an extra category, the Category 13 Special award for Recognising Design and Technologies Social Impact.
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, D&T teachers across the UK contributed to the national shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) by turning their classrooms into production lines to produce PPE for those in need. This was an outstanding contribution made during these unprecedented times, and as the professional association representing the subject, we would like to recognise and congratulate those teachers formally.
The awards were presented by Lesley Morris, Chair of the Design and Technology Association and Tony Ryan, Chief Executive of the Design and Technology Association.
Ryan recognised Paul’s achievement, saying, “Paul is to be congratulated on his well-deserved award and celebrated for going above and beyond what might be expected in his contributions to supporting the subject of design and technology. We know that employers across the advanced manufacturing and creative industries are already concerned about the real shortage of engineers and designers, and we need more people like Paul to inspire future generations of young people.”
“Paul is a great asset to our Senior D&T department here at Rugby School Thailand and we’re thrilled to see his passion and commitment being recognised in a wider context,” said Tom Spreyer, Acting Head of Senior.
The Awards’ night saw presentations made under 13 categories, with delegates from Britain and overseas in attendance.
The Design and Technology Association Excellence Award categories are:
CATEGORY 1: Boxford Ltd award for Innovation and Creativity in Design and Technology
CATEGORY 2: Inspirational Teaching of Design and Technology – Primary Award
CATEGORY 3: HME Logistics LLP award for Inspirational Teaching of Design and Technology – Secondary
CATEGORY 4: The James Dyson Foundation Award for Excellence in Engineering Education
CATEGORY 5: The IET award for Creative Use of Digital Technologies in Design and Technology
CATEGORY 6: Industry Engagement
CATEGORY 7: Development of STEM Learning Opportunities
CATEGORY 8: The Royal Academy of Engineering Exceptional Pupil Achievement Award
CATEGORY 9: Design and Technology Subject Leadership Award
CATEGORY 10: Supporting Design and Technology Award
CATEGORY 11: Heart Educational award for Design and Technology Teacher Education
CATEGORY 12: The NEJ Stevenson award for Outstanding Contribution to Design and Technology
CATEGORY 13: Special award Recognising Design and Technologies Social Impact
The 21st Design and Technology Association Excellence Awards in partnership with The Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Thanks to the kind sponsors of the 2021 Design and Technology Excellence Awards:
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