Design & Technology
Safety Consultancy & Training, Machine Maintenance and Quality CPD for Schools
Thomas Walland BA + QTS MA RDTHSC
Does your school need assistance with delivering the high quality D&T education that your students deserve?
I help schools run confident, well-managed Design and Technology provision through high-quality Health & Safety training, workshop support, and practical CPD.
As a practising D&T teacher with well over a decade of experience, my training is hands on and rooted in how best to deliver quality outcomes for your students.
Why schools work with me
Teaching-first approach: explained in plain language and built to be taught to students.
Practical systems: routines, signage, storage and supervision that are realistic in busy workshops.
Leadership-aware: I understand what Heads of Department and SLT need to see and evidence.
Support for technicians as well as teachers - to ensure the best support for your lessons .
Is Your D&T Department BS4163 Compliant?
Design and Technology workshops are often one of the most potentially dangerous areas of a school. Pupils work with machinery, sharp tools, and hazardous materials. It is vital that all schools follow well established regulations to ensure the safety of their students, and to protect schools from potential legal difficulties.
Under the Health and Safety at work act, (1974), employers have to ensure “all information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to ensure the health and safety at work of their employees”. To do this, schools should comply with BS4163 – Health and Safety for Design and Technology in Educational and Similar Establishments. This British Standard sets out expectations for how risks can be mitigated and all schools must work to this standard as a minimum.
A core principle within BS4163 is that staff and students using workshop machinery and tools must be trained and competent and a record of this training should be kept. This training is delivered through the Design and Technology Association (DATA).
DATA Health & Safety training for D&T Departments can only be delivered by Register of Design and Technology Health and Safety Consultants (RDTHSC), helping schools ensure that their departments are safe and compliant.
If staff teaching Design & Technology do not hold a current DATA H&S Accreditation certificate, they will likely be unable to evidence safe working practice in school if there should be an accident. In the unfortunate event of an accident, the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) will ask to see records of staff training.
If you are unsure whether your department’s training, workshop practices or safety documentation align with current documentation, a workshop safety review can help identify any gaps and put together a plan to ensure compliance with the law.
4 areas of specialism…
1) Workshop safety audits and compliance support
As a DATA RDTHSC, I can take a structured look at your workshop setup and routines, highlighting clear actions you can implement to ensure compliance with BS4162 and the H&S at work act. .
Review of your current systems: supervision, layout, storage, signage, and documentation.
A written, prioritised action plan with quick wins and longer-term improvements.
2) Health and Safety training (accredited and bespoke)
Training for teachers, technicians and support staff. Sessions are practical, friendly and anchored in the realities of supervision, storage, routines, and safe systems of work.
DATA Accredited training to BS4163 standard
Bespoke in-school CPD for department priorities and specific equipment.
Refresher training and update sessions to keep practice consistent across staff.
3) School workshop machine maintenance support
Support to help your machines stay safe, reliable and well-maintained across the school year. I can also train up your technicians.
Maintenance to ensure machines are safe, usable and compliant
Documentation support with implementing: logbooks, checklists, and maintenance schedules.
Advice on commissioning, introducing new equipment, and setting expectations for users.
4) CPD and curriculum transition support
Support for schools expanding or shifting provision, including staff who are moving between specialisms or stepping into D&T/3D Design delivery.
Art to D&T transition: building confidence with processes, materials, tools, and safe practical teaching.
D&T to 3D Design transition - how to adapt to the new specification, adapt projects, meet the assessment criteria and implement KS3 training to prepare younger students for the GCSE specification adequately.
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