The experiences pupils have in this department are intended to teach three main skills:

• Practical Skills – the use of basic hand tools on a variety of materials to produce a desired
  product.
  
  
• Graphical Skills – the use of a variety of media to communicate information in a graphical
  manner.
  
  
• Problem Solving Skills – the application of a design process to produce a solution to craft or
  technological problem. 
  

Where appropriate in all of the above – computers will be used

In S3 pupils can choose to follow a Standard Grade Craft & Design course leading on to Product Design at Intermediate 2 and Higher or a Standard Grade Graphical Communication course leading onto Intermediate 2, Higher and Advanced Higher.

A Practical Craft Skills course is studied at Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2.

Pupils are introduced to the world of Craft, Design and Technology in a stimulating and safe environment. Over the period of time each pupil spends in the department they will gradually develop their interests in specific areas of study and have the opportunity to study the level they wish. The department offers a very wide range of experiences to excite pupils' imaginations and encourage further study leading on to many avenues of study and/or employment.

The department occupies a self contained wing on the ground floor of the school. There are seven rooms catering to the various needs of Design Technology courses. Four of these are workshops and three are classrooms.

Two of the workshops are equipped for mosty woodcraft but work on other materials is done. One workshop is equipped for mostly metalcraft but work on other materials is done. The last workshop has been recently refurbished to proved a purpose built area to pursue Craft & Design to an advanced level. This area has a multi-purpose workshop at one end with a design area at the other. It also has a number of computers to enable pupil access to Computer Aided Graphics and the Internet..

Two of the classrooms have a suite of 20 computers each for Computer Aided Drawing and Computer Aided Design. The third classroom us equipped for manual drafting with boards and instruments. There is a further set of equiment to allow manual graphics drafing to be taught in either ciomputing room.

All classes are limited to a maximum of 20. In S1pupils have three periods in the DT department for half the year alternating with Art and in S2 pupils will have two periods for the full year. During this time they will need to be introduced to every aspect of the Design Technology Curriculum.

There are 4 full time members of staff including a Head of department.