Designed for Life

3D printing has gone from strength to strength in recent years within UK schools and is now firmly established as one of the major tools used by students to fast prototype. 
The majority of D&T departments now have at least one printer, and with the market now dominated by Bambu Lab, these new machines are making 3D printing available to all (including many students now having their own machines at home); it is clear that the use of 3D printing will continue to grow and develop within education. 
Phil Cotton saw an opportunity some years ago, and, as a teacher and Head of Department, was an early adopter of 3D printing. As he used it more in his own school and shared his experiences online, he noticed other teachers reaching out for help and advice...in this way, Learn by Layers, an online 3D printing educational platform, was born. 
Over the years, the platform has grown and developed into a small business supporting educational printing worldwide. A Bambu curriculum was added as Phil adapted the content to meet teachers' needs and requests.
LearnBylayers provides ready-to-teach 3D printing resources for schools and is currently taught in over 1500 schools in 33 countries. 
We pick up this conversation as Phil readies himself to diversify his online offering into online revision, supporting STEM subjects with the release of the Studylayers platform (more information within the pod). As we prepare for the start of a new term, grab your earpods, grab a tea or coffee, put your feet up for 50 minutes, and listen to Designed for Life, in conversation with teacher and founder of Learn by Layers, Phil Cotton. 
www.learnbylayers.com 
 Studylayers link
https://www.learnbylayers.com/studylayers/

In part two of this two-part mini-series, we dig deep into what system changes might be necessary to make teaching the attractive profession that it once was. One-third of all teachers who have qualified across all subjects in the last decade have already left teaching; here we ask why that might be the case and what needs to change. 
We also talk to more students graduating from their PGCE qualification and find out what excites and frustrates them from their experience to this point. I have to say that, despite the worrying statistic mentioned above, I sense nothing but excitement and optimism from the students that I met on the day. I have it in mind to follow these teachers up a couple of years in and see how things panned out for them. I, for one, am excited by the quality of graduates entering D&T classrooms in September.
Goldsmiths, University of London is one of the longest-established providers of D&T teacher education in the country and, over the years, has been instrumental in helping shape the subject that we now know. In this short mini-series of two episodes, we spent a day at Goldsmiths talking with Alice Hellard, who leads the PGCE programme at the university and some of this year's graduates who, at the time of recording, were just days away from completing their course. 
As you hopefully relax on your well-earned summer break, I hope you can find time to grab a cold drink, sit back and listen to Designed for life - In conversation with Alice Hellard and graduating PGCE students from Goldsmiths University London. 
Alice Hellard completed her PGCE in Design & Technology at Goldsmiths, University of London almost 20 years ago before teaching in two south London schools. She is now back at Goldsmiths where she leads the PGCE D&T programme. In these podcasts we also hear from students on the programme: Josie Beardsmore, Nikki Blustin, Steve Cheung, Tyla Garrett, Rajinder Kalsi, Patrick Readings, Ed Thomas, Nick Thomas and Noah Thompson.
https://www.gold.ac.uk/pgce/secondary-design-technology/?https://www.gold.ac.uk/&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23383165810&gbraid=0AAAAADF9-XDCJh-u42U6ADj7hpY1fdMdD&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjb3SBhDgARIsAMKiWzjwgb20eW9Alyla9YqQrNCAzA1MixdXYmxs1y1djagUpKf_BuX3oNsaAg91EALw_wcB

Goldsmiths, University of London is one of the longest-established providers of D&T teacher education in the country and, over the years, has been instrumental in helping shape the subject that we now know. In this short mini-series of two episodes, we spent a day at Goldsmiths talking with Alice Hellard, who leads the PGCE programme at the university and some of this year's graduates who, at the time of recording, were just days away from completing their course. 
At a time when trained D&T teacher numbers are at a record low following years of under-recruitment and a central neglect of the subject's curriculum value, this seems as good a time as any to get 'under the hood' of one of our major teacher training organisations and see how things really are and, just as importantly, how they feel to the new teachers about to enter schools as Early Career Teachers (ECTs). 
As you hopefully relax on your well-earned summer break, I hope you can find time to grab a cold drink, sit back and listen to Designed for life - In conversation with Alice Hellard and graduating PGCE students from Goldsmiths University London. 
Alice Hellard completed her PGCE in Design & Technology at Goldsmiths, University of London almost 20 years ago before teaching in two south London schools. She is now back at Goldsmiths where she leads the PGCE D&T programme. In these podcasts we also hear from students on the programme: Josie Beardsmore, Nikki Blustin, Steve Cheung, Tyla Garrett, Rajinder Kalsi, Patrick Readings, Ed Thomas, Nick Thomas and Noah Thompson.
https://www.gold.ac.uk/pgce/secondary-design-technology/?https://www.gold.ac.uk/&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23383165810&gbraid=0AAAAADF9-XDCJh-u42U6ADj7hpY1fdMdD&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjb3SBhDgARIsAMKiWzjwgb20eW9Alyla9YqQrNCAzA1MixdXYmxs1y1djagUpKf_BuX3oNsaAg91EALw_wcB

At the end of 2025, I was privileged to be asked to visit the JLR plant in Gaydon in the West Midlands to attend their Creative Showcase. I don't hide the fact that I am a car enthusiast, so I must admit that letting me loose amidst the creativity, design and engineering excellence on show was a little akin to letting a child with a sweet tooth free in a sweet shop. 
One of the highlights of the day for me was meeting a group of apprentices from a range of creative disciplines. As far as I am aware, these good people put their hands up and volunteered to meet with me to explain their roles at JLR and how they got there. I added one request to the conversation before we started: "Please tell me what your experience of D&T was at school, good or bad, and did this have any influence on you wanting to do what you now do at JLR?"
One by one, every young person in the room told me of a D&T teacher that had connected with them, and all of the students confidently stated they would be very unlikely to be doing what they do today, were it not for the influence of the named teacher and Design and Technology. 
One of those young people was Jasmine Allen. Jasmine is a second-year Creative: Technical, Studio Engineering Graduate who, in her own words, works at the intersection between design and engineering, and whose task it is to make sure those two disciplines work in harmony. 
In this podcast, we follow Jasmine's journey from school to earning a 1st Class Honours in Product Design and Technology (BSc) at Loughborough University, and find out a little more about her role at JLR and how she successfully applied for it, without a plan B. 
This was a really easy and guest-led podcast which I hope you will not only find interesting, but which I feel has the potential to help so many young people currently at school or university and considering a creative career, possibly with a multi-national company such as JLR. 
So grab the dog, grab a coffee and a comfy chair, take us to the gym, or maybe to a sun lounger this time of year and enjoy Designed for Life, in conversation with Jasmine Allen.

Ilā is a British artist, producer and vocalist. When you are approached by an agent stating, "Would you like to speak with an artist who operates at the intersection of quantum computer music,  AI and the human voice, well, you kind of say yes straight away!
I spend a lot of time researching my guests. If someone is good enough to give up their time to be a guest on the podcast, then the very least I can do as the host is spend some time getting to know them a little before we actually meet. I have to admit to being intrigued by Ilā's background. The education that could so easily have led to an academic career has instead led to a career in which creativity takes precedence, barriers are explored, and walls are knocked down. 
There is no doubt that music is the major influence in their professional life. But in talking with Ilā, it became clear that there are no categories, sectors, or topics that are off-limits; curiosity feeds their professional development, and there is definitely an element of, say, "yes" and work out the details later.
In this podcast, we cover education, music, and creativity, their importance in a technologically driven world, and the importance of helping instruct young people on how to use AI responsibly as an assistant to learning. 
Towards the end, we discuss Ilā's contribution to the BBC Bitesize guide to AI for young people, which is both timely and comprehensive. At a time when education's response to AI and its use by students ranges from "You won't be using that here" to "We welcome students to use AI so long as they reference where and how it has been used, this feels like a very timely conversation. 
I loved our hour in conversation, and I believe you will too. So get those ear buds in and enjoy Designed for Life, in conversation with Ilā Kamalagharan.
BBC Bitesize guides to AI can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/groups/cgk3rj0kl55t
Thanks to Arachne.digital for their continued sponsorship of the podcast, which allows us to bring these conversations to you. Contact Arachne https://www.arachne.digital/ or us for a free evaluation of your school’s cybersecurity.