Staff
Harriet Helm - Head of Department
I have been working at Kingswood for over 13 years now. I originally trained as a jewellery designer in Birmingham. I teach lots of different areas within D&T but more recently have been specialising in CAD/CAM work and graphic products. I like Technology because it is always changing and we always have new skills to learn. I don’t have much spare time, but I like being at home in my garden. I like animals and have recently bought 2 giant rabbits.
Influences
Too many to mention! Christopher Dresser, early part of 20th Century and anything by HR Geiger.
Georgina Broster - Second in Department
This is my fifth year at Kingswood and I love it here! I teach mainly resistant materials and product design. I have always enjoyed designing and making things and spent many hours in my dad’s garage when I was a child. It's great to be able to make something unique that I have created from my imagination.
Influences
I love The Allessi Dream Factory, Aldo Rossi and Trevor Baylis who took a simple technology and created a very cheap, robust and useable wind up radio for communities in Africa.
Megan Field - Food Technology, Childcare and Textiles Teacher
I have been teaching Food Technology, Childcare and Development and Textiles at Kingswood School for 11 years.
I like teaching Food lessons because I can see the pleasure children get from cooking for themselves.
Influences
Delia Smith’s basic cooking programmes and books are very good and always work if followed. Jamie Oliver is trying to promote an awareness of healthy eating amongst the younger generation. He also started 'Fifteen' - a youth training project leading to work within the food industry. He now has four 'Fifteens' worldwide. Heston Blumenthal introduces a scientific approach to food which is a different and interesting idea.
Lisa Wray - Textiles Teacher
Textiles is an exciting subject to teach due to the creativity involved. I am constantly impressed by the enthusiasm of the students and the quality of work that they are able to produce. I am very lucky to have a job that combines my love for Textiles and Art, and that is so inspiring and rewarding because of the students.
Influences
Vivienne Westwood is my biggest inspiration. She is an amazing, highly original designer. Her creations are like works of Art. I would love to own one of her bags one day - that would be a dream come true!
Vicky Lamb - Food and Textiles Teacher
I have been teaching Food and Textiles at Kingswood for three years. Although I have been teaching for more years than I care to remember! In my spare time I am interested in rare breed British livestock and horses.
Influences
In food I find Jamie Oliver and Delia Smith are very good as well as Rick Stein and Nigel Slater. They all have good recipes and ideas that work. Hugh Fernley-Whittingston is most interesting as he has gone back to using foods in their natural state and mainly organic. In Textiles, Kaffe Fasset and Zandra Rhodes have shown good use of colour and idea.
Alan Johnson - Head of Year and Teacher of Technology
I have been working at the school since 1988……Why go anywhere else?! Working in the department is a real pleasure as students get the opportunity to work outside the normal classroom.
Influences
Charles Eames furniture always catches my eye but designers from the early 20th Century produced some great ideas.
Sandra Mandzuik - Head of Year
I have been at Kingswood for over 20 years now, working in both the Art and Technology Departments. I have always had a keen interest in fashion and fashion design and make clothes and furnishings for myself and for friends. I have also made a number of wedding and bridesmaid dresses for friends and ex pupils over the years, which is a bit of a passion of mine.
I enjoy Technology and over the past two years I have been teaching Product Design to Year 7 where I have been using the serif 8 programme to work on – a steep learning curve for me but one which I have enjoyed.
Influences
Lots of designers but in particular Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier and Amanda Wakeley for beautiful dresses. I love shopping and fashion in general and keeping up with trends both from the catwalks and in the shops. I also love mixing and matching clothing from the cheap end of the market such as Primark with more expensive goods!
Moz Mahmood - Teacher of Resistant Materials
Teaching at The Kingswood School has been a lot of fun so far! I started teaching here in September 2009. I enjoy working with a range of materials, as well as using CAD/CAM, and get a real buzz when the pupils make fantastic products. I enjoy Design and Technology as it allows pupils to design and make a product that they have put their own imagination into. I enjoy ‘breaking’ stuff just to see how it works and think it is important to see products on the inside, as well as the outside!
In my spare time I enjoy applying Henna patterns on the hands and seeing how I can take the design from the Henna patterns and incorporate these into some of the products that the pupils will be making, giving the products a contemporary look.
Influences
I love designs from the Eastern part of the world, such as South Asian and Middle-Eastern designs. I particularly like the very precise detail and mathematical thought that has been demonstrated in ‘Islamic Patterns’ which can be found on mosques and artefacts around the world.
Ian Clark - Department Technician
I do lots of different jobs to support the department, this involves setting up equipment and making sure everything is working properly. I enjoy helping the students on a one to one basis – I help out a lot with CAD/CAM work, cutting projects for students on the Laser Cutter.
Influences
I like lots of modern designers in particular Phillipe Starck. I think products should be functional but they should also look good too.
Trish Guy - Food Technology Technician
I have been at Kingswood for 3 years helping in Food Technology. I enjoy my job as no two days are the same. Students benefit from their lessons and I enjoy enabling them learn.
Influences
My favourite Chef is Gordon Ramsay because he demands excellent food and service. I like to watch James Martin's Saturday Kitchen because his recipes are easy to follow.
Linda Crozier - Art and Textiles Technician
My role is to support the staff with the many aspects of teaching and learning. This often means preparing resources and equipment for lessons. I enjoy working with the students in lesson time and giving them that extra bit of help. The students enjoy working in Technology and I am proud to be able to help them succeed.
Influences
Out of all the current designers, I like the work of Stella Mc Cartney because she is up to date and in touch with today’s fashion.
David Harley - Design Technician
I’ve worked at Kingswood for 4 years. I have an interesting job ranging from machine maintenance to supporting students and teachers with in-class design projects. I’m currently studying Product Design at The University of Northampton.
Influences
My design influences are modernist like Bauhaus & Antoni Gaudí. I think the Bauhaus Barcelona Chair is a design classic and I love the La Pedrera building by Gaudi. I think sustainable design is very important as we need to design products that can recycled and have a low environmental impact.
